Many organizations are still trying to quantify the potential impact in Georgia from Monday’s announced federal proposal for carbon limits on power plants. An official with Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric producer, said it could take the company months to fully comb through the documents.
But the announcement continues to feed a wave of press releases from business and environmental groups, elected officials and others.
Below is a sampling of some of the releases sent to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just on the day of the announcement. We’ve included the time stamps on each.
9:01 a.m.
SUBJECT: Lung Association: Proposed Carbon Pollution Standards Would Protect the Health of Millions of Americans
(From American Lung Association)
“Power plant pollution makes people sick and cuts short lives. We are pleased to see significant health benefits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed limits ….”
10:37 a.m.
SUBJECT: Remarks for Administrator McCarthy, Announcement of Clean Power Plan, Washington, D.C.
(From EPA)
“Our job, directed by our laws, reaffirmed by our courts, is to protect public health and the environment. Climate change, fueled by carbon pollution, supercharges risks not just to our health, but to our communities, our economy, and our way of life ….”
10:42 a.m.
SUBJECT: Utility Regulator Blasts EPA Carbon Rules
(From Georgia Public Service Commissioner Stan Wise)
“The Obama Administration continues its war on coal with the issuance of carbon dioxide rules for existing coal plants. These overreaching rules trump state authority, put energy users at risk to future price swings ….”
11:04 a.m.
SUBJECT: U.S. Chamber Statement on Proposed EPA Regulations on Existing Power Plants
(From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
“Today’s regulations issued by EPA add immense cost and regulatory burdens on America’s job creators. They will have a profound effect on the economy, on businesses, and on families ….”
11:24 a.m.
SUBJECT: Clean Energy Advocates Applaud EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan
(From the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
“The long-awaited rules, announced this morning by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are a critical piece of a multi-faceted approach to reduce carbon pollution that causes climate change and threatens public health….”
1:09 p.m.
SUBJECT: Congressman Kingston Calls EPA Rules “Disastrous”
(From the office of Congressman Jack Kingston)
“This ideologically-driven policy will have devastating and disastrous results for Georgia by artificially raising the costs of nearly everything, destroying good private-sector jobs, and hindering the kind of economic growth our state needs ….”
