WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Energy Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), today issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order rolling back several Obama-era energy regulations.
“As the committee’s oversight record shows, the previous administration’s expansive and legally controversial interpretations of EPA’s authorities under the Clean Air Act created federal influence over state electricity systems never considered by Congress. The Clean Power Plan and related rules inappropriately elevated EPA’s influence in state energy decisions and threatened serious economic harms to the workers and consumers who benefited from a robust coal sector and reliable, affordable electric power," said Walden, Shimkus, and Upton. “Following through on his promises, President Trump’s executive order today marks a return to the appropriate interpretation of the law and respect for state interests. This will provide the regulatory certainty needed to grow our economy and lead to environmental rules that promote the productive and innovative capacity of American enterprise. Looking forward, we will continue to monitor EPA’s rulemakings with respect to the power sector and ways to keep electricity reliable, efficient, and affordable."
