Californians speak out against Trump Administration’s Clean Power Plan rollback

San Francisco, CA. - Community leaders, public health experts, mothers, young activists, and clean energy and clean air advocates from California and across the country’s West Coast spoke out today in opposition to the attempt to repeal Clean Power Plan by the Trump Administration. Today, the EPA is holding a listening session on Trump and his EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan today in San Francisco --the second of just three scheduled listening sessions across the country. A few blocks away from the listening session, groups of concerned Californians joined together in opposition against the repeal of the Clean Power Plan in a press conference at San Francisco City Hall.

The Clean Power Plan was created after an unprecedented engagement process that included outreach to stakeholders across the spectrum--utilities, public health advocates, communities of color, labor unions, and the coal industry, as well as 4.3 million comments EPA received on the proposed Clean Power Plan.

Sierra Club President Loren Blackford released the following statement:

“Repealing the Clean Power Plan would not only put lives at risk, but would also undermine the jobs being created by America's clean energy economy. Clean air and water, and a stable climate, are rights that have no place being bartered about by the Trump administration, but that is exactly what is happening. As they slow America’s transition away from coal and fracked gas to clean energy, they sacrifice our economy and our communities in the process.

"The Clean Power Plan will create tens of thousands of new jobs in the solar and wind industries, save thousands of lives from the negative health impacts of air and water pollution, and combat the worst impacts of climate change in California and across the country. Clean energy is the future and standing in the way of our path to progress not only puts our kids in danger but puts our country and our position as a world leader in danger. We have an obligation to make the future better than the past, and that means clean energy and public health, not dirty fossil fuels and debilitating pollution.”

Prior to Trump taking office, The EPA estimated that, by 2030, the Clean Power Plan would prevent 90,000 asthma attacks and up to 3,600 premature deaths annually. It will provide $20 billion of annual climate benefits and between $14 billion to $34 billion of annual health benefits by 2030.

Lisa Hoyos, Director of the Sierra Club's Climate Parent's program, said "Trump and Pruitt's efforts to repeal the Clean Power Plan are nothing short of reckless, and just one more example of the Administration's failure to protect the safety and the health of our children." She added, "America needs to maintain our momentum in getting to 100% clean energy---and this EPA is actively endangering families in seeking to block that path."

In addition to expected public health benefits, EPA also previously projected that in 2030, when the plan is fully implemented, electricity bills would be roughly 8 percent lower than they would been without the actions in state plans. That would save Americans about $8 on an average monthly residential electricity bill. However, the Trump Administration bowed to the demands of the fossil fuel industry and proposed to repeal these life-saving protections last year.

There will be a press conference on the steps of San Francisco City Hall (1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102) at 11:00 AM featuring speakers opposing the repeal of the Clean Power Plan.

The second EPA’s listening session on the Clean Power Plan will take place tomorrow from 8:30 AM until 7:30 PM at the San Francisco Main Library in the Koret Auditorium (30 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA 94102).