H. R. No. 282 As Reported by the House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee

As Reported by the House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee

130th General Assembly

Regular Session

2013-2014

H. R. No. 282

Representatives Dovilla, Hill

Cosponsors: Representatives Buchy, Adams, J., Cera, Perales

A RESOLUTION

To urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to 1
hold public listening sessions on proposed 2
regulations targeting carbon dioxide emissions 3
from existing power plants in those states that 4
would be most directly impacted by the 5
regulations. 6

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       WHEREAS, Coal provides affordable, reliable energy that 7
provides low-cost electricity to individuals and businesses across 8
the country. The ten states with the highest percentage of 9
electricity generated from coal in 2012 were West Virginia, 10
Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah, 11
Nebraska, New Mexico, and Ohio; and 12

       WHEREAS, Nearly 78% of all electricity generated in Ohio 13
comes from coal. Ohio is the tenth largest coal-producing state in 14
the nation, and Ohio's coal industry is responsible for 15
approximately 3,000 direct jobs and 33,000 indirect jobs; and 16

       WHEREAS, President Barack Obama announced on June 25, 2013, 17
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) would adopt 18
regulations targeting greenhouse gas emissions from existing 19
coal-fired power plants, with a proposed rule to be released in 20
June 2014 and a final rule adopted in June 2015; and 21

       WHEREAS, On September 30, 2013, the USEPA announced that 22
public listening sessions on rulemaking targeting greenhouse gas 23
emissions from existing coal-fired power plants would be held in 24
Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York; Philadelphia, 25
Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Lenexa, Kansas; 26
San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; 27
Seattle, Washington; and Chicago, Illinois. The USEPA's 28
announcement of the listening sessions states that "[t]he feedback 29
from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important 30
role in helping USEPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines 31
that reflect the latest and best information available"; and 32

       WHEREAS, None of the eleven public listening sessions 33
announced by the USEPA will be held in any of the ten states with 34
the highest percentage of electricity generated from coal, and 35
none of the sessions will be held in any of the top three 36
coal-producing states. The ten states and the District of Columbia 37
where public listening sessions will be held generate an average 38
of 26% of their electricity from coal; and 39

       WHEREAS, Regulatory efforts that could lead to the retirement 40
of additional coal-fired power plants would have a 41
disproportionate impact on jobs, utility rates, and the overall 42
economy in states that rely on coal for a higher percentage of 43
electricity generation; and 44

       WHEREAS, The USEPA should use its public listening sessions 45
to hear the potential impact of its regulatory actions in those 46
states where that impact would be the greatest. The USEPA's stated 47
goal of using the listening sessions to help USEPA "develop smart, 48
cost-effective guidelines" cannot be achieved by excluding the 49
views of residents in those states that rely most heavily on coal 50
for electricity generation; now therefore be it 51

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of 52
Representatives of the 130th General Assembly of the State of 53
Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge that public listening 54
sessions on rulemaking targeting carbon dioxide emissions from 55
existing power plants should be held in each of the ten states 56
with the highest percentage of electricity generated by coal in 57
2012 and at a time and place that would maximize the ability of 58
individuals to participate; and be it further 59

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 60
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 61
Administrator of the USEPA, the Speaker and Clerk of the United 62
States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and 63
Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the Ohio 64
Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio. 65

WHEREAS, Coal provides affordable, reliable energy that	7
provides low-cost electricity to individuals and businesses across	8
the country. The ten states with the highest percentage of	9
electricity generated from coal in 2012 were West Virginia,	10
Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah,	11
Nebraska, New Mexico, and Ohio; and	12

WHEREAS, Nearly 78% of all electricity generated in Ohio	13
comes from coal. Ohio is the tenth largest coal-producing state in	14
the nation, and Ohio's coal industry is responsible for	15
approximately 3,000 direct jobs and 33,000 indirect jobs; and	16

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama announced on June 25, 2013,	17
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) would adopt	18
regulations targeting greenhouse gas emissions from existing	19
coal-fired power plants, with a proposed rule to be released in	20
June 2014 and a final rule adopted in June 2015; and	21

WHEREAS, On September 30, 2013, the USEPA announced that	22
public listening sessions on rulemaking targeting greenhouse gas	23
emissions from existing coal-fired power plants would be held in	24
Boston, Massachusetts; New York City, New York; Philadelphia,	25
Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Lenexa, Kansas;	26
San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas;	27
Seattle, Washington; and Chicago, Illinois. The USEPA's	28
announcement of the listening sessions states that "[t]he feedback	29
from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important	30
role in helping USEPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines	31
that reflect the latest and best information available"; and	32

WHEREAS, None of the eleven public listening sessions	33
announced by the USEPA will be held in any of the ten states with	34
the highest percentage of electricity generated from coal, and	35
none of the sessions will be held in any of the top three	36
coal-producing states. The ten states and the District of Columbia	37
where public listening sessions will be held generate an average	38
of 26% of their electricity from coal; and	39

WHEREAS, Regulatory efforts that could lead to the retirement	40
of additional coal-fired power plants would have a	41
disproportionate impact on jobs, utility rates, and the overall	42
economy in states that rely on coal for a higher percentage of	43
electricity generation; and	44

WHEREAS, The USEPA should use its public listening sessions	45
to hear the potential impact of its regulatory actions in those	46
states where that impact would be the greatest. The USEPA's stated	47
goal of using the listening sessions to help USEPA "develop smart,	48
cost-effective guidelines" cannot be achieved by excluding the	49
views of residents in those states that rely most heavily on coal	50
for electricity generation; now therefore be it	51

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of	52
Representatives of the 130th General Assembly of the State of	53
Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge that public listening	54
sessions on rulemaking targeting carbon dioxide emissions from	55
existing power plants should be held in each of the ten states	56
with the highest percentage of electricity generated by coal in	57
2012 and at a time and place that would maximize the ability of	58
individuals to participate; and be it further	59

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	60
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the	61
Administrator of the USEPA, the Speaker and Clerk of the United	62
States House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore and	63
Secretary of the United States Senate, the members of the Ohio	64
Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.	65