Governor Matt Bevin announced that Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) is working to request an extension to the Environmental Protection Agency related to the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan. With a deadline of September 6, 2016, this two year extension will allow Kentucky to consider its options and continue its fight against this plan that will harm Kentucky’s affordable, reliable electricity and devastate the economy statewide.
“My job as Governor is to do what’s best for the people of Kentucky,” said Governor Bevin. “We have had many thorough conversations with stakeholders from all across Kentucky, including ratepayers, utility companies, local governments, small businesses, manufacturers and farmers, about the best path forward. We have come to the conclusion that it is in the Commonwealth’s best interest that we retain control of our own energy future. Toward that end, we are submitting an extension request. We are requesting this extension to allow serious legal challenges to progress through the court.”
“I applaud the Governor’s decision to take action that will allow the state to retain flexibility and meet our own unique energy needs,” said Charles Snavely, Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet. “This path forward doesn’t commit us to any particular approach, but will secure a two-year extension giving litigation time to proceed. This will protect Kentucky from any attempt to impose a federal plan full of job killing mandates. In the meantime, we will continue to assist in the ongoing litigation challenging the legality of the Clean Power Plan and remain hopeful that the Court will soon issue a nationwide stay against the enforcement of the EPA’s unlawful rulemaking.”
The EEC will be conducting public listening sessions across the state to gather input. Information on when and where the listening sessions will occur will be announced when available. Following the listening sessions, the EEC will develop a draft document that will be noticed publicly prior to submission to the EPA.
Additionally, the EEC has joined with other states and stakeholders to submit comments to the EPA regarding the Federal Plan Requirements for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and implementation of the Clean Power Plan. This is the federal plan that would be implemented should a state decide not to submit its own plan or if the EPA deemed a state plan to be deficient.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supported Bevin’s decision.
“I applaud Governor Bevin for filing an extension and refusing to submit a plan until the legal challenges are addressed,” Senator McConnell said. “He made the right decision to not saddle Kentucky with an Obama administration plan that is likely illegal and extremely detrimental to Kentucky’s economy,” said McConnell in a statement released from his communications office.