Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) commented Friday on a new analysis from the Virginia State Corporation Commission that indicates Virginia families and businesses could see $5.5 to $6 billion in higher energy costs under an Environmental Protection Agency regulation proposed by President Barack Obama. The independent, nonpartisan State Corporation Commission filed a public comment with the EPA concluding the proposed rule would “substantially increase the bills and rates Virginians pay for electricity.”
“The independent, nonpartisan analysis of the State Corporation Commission confirms that President Obama’s environmental policies could devastate Virginia’s economy,” said Speaker Howell. “The proposed EPA rule will kill jobs and drive energy costs through the roof for Virginia families and businesses. The SCC’s analysis makes clear that, as written, the EPA’s rule will force Virginia utility companies to close down reliable power plants that generate affordable electricity and replace them expensive and unreliable alternatives. Virginia’s families and businesses will be forced to cover these costs to the tune of billions of dollars in higher electricity bills. These higher costs will hurt our senior citizens, hospitals, small businesses and large manufacturers.”
The EPA made the “Clean Power Plan” public on June 2, 2014. The public comment period for the proposed regulation ends on December 1, 2014. The full SCC comment can be found here.
“Every Virginia elected official should oppose this burdensome and costly proposal,” Speaker Howell added. “I encourage Governor Terry McAuliffe and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to reach out directly to the administration and oppose this rule. Virginia families and businesses simply cannot afford $6 billion in higher energy costs.”
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