Electric Co-op Today

Two House committee chairmen and a Missouri representative are introducing bipartisan legislation to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the federal Clean Air Act.

Amid elected officials and co-op leaders, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., unveils a bill to limit EPA regulation of greenhouse gases. (Photo By: Jim McCarty)

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., and Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., announced they will join House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., in sponsoring legislation this week that they said is crucial to electricity consumers.

As a cap-and-trade climate change bill remains stalled in the Senate, EPA is taking steps to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

That could lead to higher electric bills and an expensive regulatory scheme, Skelton and Emerson said as they unveiled their plan Feb. 2 at the Missouri Rural Electric Cooperative State Legislative Conference in Jefferson City.

“Simply put, we cannot tolerate turning over the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to unelected bureaucrats at EPA. America’s energy and environmental policies should be set by Congress with the help of experts in rural electrification and agriculture,” Skelton said.

Tags: Carbon Dioxide, Clean Air Act, Climate Change Legislation, Environmental Protection Agency, Legislation