Vanessa Ramos, (512) 586 -1853, vanessa.ramos@sierraclub.org
Austin, TX - Donald Trump and his EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, announced today that they will repeal the Clean Power Plan, which was designed to empower states in the energy policy environment. It would have reduced carbon pollution, protected the health of Texas children, and created high-quality renewable energy jobs across the state.
The Clean Power Plan protects the health of our families and communities by curbing dangerous, climate-disrupting carbon pollution that is exacerbating extreme weather events, as well as reducing other harmful pollutants that contribute to dangerous smog and soot, causing heart attacks, respiratory illnesses, and even premature deaths. That is especially important to Texas considering power plants in Texas emit more than 240 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. Texas is far and away the leader on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) previously projected that the Clean Power Plan would prevent 90,000 childhood asthma attacks, 300,000 missed work and school days, and 3,600 premature deaths annually by 2030. Also, Texas was required under the Clean Power Plan to reduce emissions by 51 million tons of CO2 by 2030. The Plan would have resulted in annual climate benefits of $20 billion and annual health benefits of between $14 and $34 billion. It would also reduce the average consumer’s electricity bill by $85 per year and save consumers a total of $155 billion over the course of the next decade.
Wind companies have already installed more than 20,000 MWs of wind in our grid, and through August, wind energy supplied 17 percent of our electric needs in our Texas-only grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is projecting significant growth for both solar and wind through 2030, and also projects that renewable resources will increasingly displace older coal and natural gas generation in the future. This is important for communities like Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, which face significant pollution impacts from coal and whose children and elderly suffer from respiratory issues due to sulfur dioxide from coal plants.
The Trump administration’s attempt to roll back progress on climate action will run up against the reality that clean energy is expected to continue growing dramatically in Texas. The Lone Star state leads the nation in wind energy and is ranked 6th in installed solar energy in 2016. Texas wind farms produced enough energy to power more than 5.7 million homes and provide more than 25,000 jobs. The Plan would have supported Texas’ growing clean energy economy and provided flexibility and opportunities for state leaders to chart how Texas would continue to be an energy leader in the future.
In Response, Cyrus Reed, Conservation Director, Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, Released the Following Statement
“By gutting the Clean Power Plan, Pruitt’s EPA is turning its back on a real opportunity to improve people’s lives. The Clean Power Plan protects the future for our families and communities by curbing carbon pollution, which is leading to climate change, while giving flexibility to states on how best to bring on renewable energy and more energy-efficient buildings and appliances. We don’t have to look far to see the impacts of more extreme weather events, as the Texas Gulf Coast continues to dig out from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey; while our neighbors in Florida deal with Irma’s impacts and our friends in Puerto Rico face unheard of challenges in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
“Despite this unnecessary and unwise decision, the coal industry will continue to be at a disadvantage as Texas continues to add more wind and solar energy, which provides carbon free power and thousands of job opportunities for Texans every year. Just last week, we saw that Texas’s largest coal power generator, Luminant, has made the decision to retire one of Texas’ largest and dirtiest coal plants, Monticello. While today’s news about the Clean Power Plan is no doubt a setback, the fight against this dangerous decision is only just beginning. Sierra Club and our allies will ensure that our voices are heard as EPA goes about its attempt at unwinding the Clean Power Plant and will ensure that carbon pollution is regulated as required by the Clean Air Act. And we will continue to work at the local level to create more solar, wind and energy efficiency resources and jobs to our communities.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.