{"id":2825,"date":"2011-03-08T13:33:43","date_gmt":"2011-03-08T18:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=2825"},"modified":"2011-03-08T13:33:43","modified_gmt":"2011-03-08T18:33:43","slug":"for-business-its-not-necessary-to-delay-the-clean-air-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2011\/03\/08\/for-business-its-not-necessary-to-delay-the-clean-air-act\/","title":{"rendered":"For Business, It’s Not Necessary to Delay the Clean Air Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s (EPA) efforts to enforce the Clean Air Act are vital for our health, our children\u2019s health, and the avoidance of the most dangerous and expensive consequences of climate change.<\/p>\n

In spite of that urgency, some businesses are arguing for delay. They claim that new regulations will hurt jobs and the economic recovery. Extensive data refutes these claims<\/span><\/a>, but perhaps the most credible counter-arguments are those made by businesses that disagree.<\/p>\n

In a March 1 article in Politico Pro, reporter Darren Samuelsohn interviewed business leaders who “didn\u2019t sound so thrilled” about legislation to pre-empt EPA authority:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leaders \u2014 from American Electric Power, NextEra Energy, Southern Co. and Dominion Resources \u2014 said to varying degrees that they support allowing the EPA to proceed on a \u2018reasonable\u2019 time frame on greenhouse gas rules for power plants, petroleum refiners and other major stationary sources.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The business community is not monolithic, of course. And it\u2019s no surprise that companies that are innovative are often rewarded with long-term growth.<\/p>\n

Recently, the ArcelorMittal<\/a> steel mill in East Chicago, Indiana, built on-site energy plants to capture heat and gases. The mill reduced its carbon dioxide <\/sub>emissions by about 916,000 metric tons<\/a>. That\u2019s about the same amount as 166,000 car<\/strong>s and all of the grid-connected solar panels in the world. At the same time, the mill cut as much as $100 million a year in energy costs<\/strong> — and that allowed ArcelorMittal to allocate more money to jobs and investment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

West Virginia Alloys<\/a>, a silicon manufacturer, used a similar project to capture waste heat and generate enough electricity on-site to power one-third of its furnaces. The project reduced carbon dioxide emissions by almost 300,000 tons<\/strong> \u2013 and at the same time, enabled the plant to increase its workforce by 20 percent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Companies that fear change typically spend their time and energy fighting change \u2013 not on finding the most strategic responses to changing business conditions.<\/p>\n

McKinsey and Company and the Department of Energy (DOE) are among those who have collected data showing the plethora of untapped efficiency opportunities being ignored by American industry today. (See some of that data, and helpful case studies, at LessCarbonMoreInnovation.org<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

Here are some highlights:<\/p>\n