Statement By Attorney General James On Trump EPA's “Dirty Power” Rule   

NEW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James issued the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) finalization of its Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) – aka “Dirty Power” – rule to replace the Clean Power Plan:  

“The EPA’s so-called ‘Affordable Clean Energy’ rule neither promotes clean energy nor is affordable by any measure to the average American. It is yet another prime example of the Trump Administration’s weak attempt to deny that climate change has caused--and will continue to cause--devastating impacts on both the safety and health of all Americans and the economy. This catastrophic rule will prop up dirty and expensive coal power plants, undercut clean and sustainable electricity, and leave New Yorkers and all other Americans to foot the bill. Given its clear violation of the Clean Air Act, I intend to sue the EPA over this “Dirty Power” rule and look forward to collaborating with other states and cities in taking action to protect all Americans from the increasingly disastrous impacts of climate change.” 

Background  

The New York Attorney General’s Office has worked since 2003 to limit carbon pollution from fossil-fueled power plants.  This work has included filing a challenge against EPA in 2006 for failing to set emission limits on these power plants, suing the largest power plant companies in 2004 under the law of public nuisance, and leading a coalition of states and municipalities in defending the Clean Power Plan in court.   

Most recently, the New York Attorney General’s Office  led a coalition of states, counties, and cities in filing comments in opposition to the Trump EPA’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan, and  filed comments  in opposition to the Affordable Clean Energy rule as proposed.