The Clean Power Plan: Environmental Protector or Job Killer?

Abstract

It is an interesting debate when two societal principles so integral to our long-term survival seem to come to a head. The Clean Power Plan, a new proposed rule by the EPA to reduce carbon emissions, appears to have sparked just such a battle. A clash seemingly between goals of environmental protection and protection of existing individual jobs is sure to garner public attention. However, this debate is less about jobs versus the environment and more about a shift in jobs from more traditional energy sectors to newer, less established sectors. This article explores the goals of the Clean Power Plan and how proponents and opponents alike frame the issue, especially in Pennsylvania, which is at the center of the changing energy landscape in the United States. President Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act into law on December 31, 1970. Many Federal environmental acts were signed into law in the 1970’s as a result of growing citizen concern for the environment. The Clean Air Act authorized EPA to enact federal regulations and employ enforcement mechanisms that would control air emissions from both stationary and mobile sources. The Clean Air Act’s main purpose has always been protecting the environment, although the cost of compliance and the impact of regulations on American industry were considered by Congress in conjunction with enactment of the Clean Air Act and its amendments. Additionally, any proposed rules, changes, or enforcement mechanisms are required to do the same. This article also addresses those impacts in the context of the recently proposed Clean Power Plan. The science community’s knowledge about humans’ impact on our climate has changed vastly since 1970 when we knew very little about the future of the world climate and were only beginning to realize that carbon dioxide emissions cause our planet to warm. In addition, coverage of this concept has also increased. These climate change stories have gone from being hidden in the back of technical journals to at the forefront of our mainstream media. In response to increasing concern about the current state of our environment and growing scientific consensus about global climate change, the EPA, on June 18, 2014, proposed a new rule establishing emissions guidelines for states to follow as they develop plans to address greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel electric generating units. This rule would mandate a thirty percent cut in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by the year 2030. This plan would develop state-specific goals for carbon dioxide emissions from power-related sources and continue progress already underway in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants.