{"id":8244,"date":"2014-07-31T14:48:08","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T19:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=8244"},"modified":"2014-07-31T14:49:04","modified_gmt":"2014-07-31T19:49:04","slug":"why-support-the-clean-power-plan-testimony-from-the-epa-hearings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2014\/07\/31\/why-support-the-clean-power-plan-testimony-from-the-epa-hearings\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Support the Clean Power Plan? Testimony from the EPA Hearings"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dan Upham<\/a><\/p>\n

Across the country this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held public hearings to solicit comments about its\u00a0Clean Power Plan<\/a>, which will put the first-ever national limits on the amount of climate pollution that can be emitted by power plants. EDF\u2019s president, a senior attorney, and a clean energy specialist were among the hundreds of Americans who testified in support of the Plan. As these selections from EDF staff testimonies illustrate, the Plan offers moderate, flexible, and necessary measures to address climate change at the federal and state levels.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s necessary: The climate is changing across the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Image of the DC rally outside the EPA hearings. Source: Heather Shelby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe stakes are high in Colorado as hotter temperatures, reduced winter snowpacks, and more frequent droughts are expected to decrease Colorado River streamflows.<\/p>\n

Our treasured Rocky Mountain ecosystems are especially susceptible to climate change impacts, and high elevations have already experienced temperature increases at rates three times the global average.<\/p>\n

Increased warming, drought, and insect outbreaks have increased wildfires and impacts to people and ecosystems throughout the West.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Graham McCahan<\/a>, a senior attorney with EDF\u2019s U.S. Climate and Air legal team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Southeast is the region expected to be the most affected by increasing temperatures. Extremely hot days \u2013 95\u00b0F or above \u2013 could cause a decrease in labor productivity by 3.2% in the construction, mining, utilities, transportation, and agricultural sectors. Extreme heat also is projected to cause 11,000 to 36,000 more deaths each year.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Greg Andeck<\/a>, EDF\u2019s North Carolina senior manager, Clean Energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line is that we cannot continue down the path of unlimited pollution.\u201d \u2013\u00a0Fred Krupp<\/a>, EDF\u2019s president.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s flexible: It can work well in different states<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cStrong carbon pollution standards are consistent with a strong clean energy economy in Colorado.<\/p>\n

Solar and wind resources are cheaper than ever before. In 2012, rooftop solar panels cost approximately one percent of what they did 35 years ago, and the cost of solar panels fell by 60 percent from 2011 to 2013. This past May, Xcel Energy [a Colorado utility] announced that it is now acquiring renewable energy at prices that out-compete fossil fuels.\u201d – Graham McCahan<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan would allow North Carolina to get credit for steps it already has taken to grow clean energy and invest in energy efficiency. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n