FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
An effort to temporarily block the Clean Power Plan was stymied today as the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by states, fossil fuel companies and their supporters that it would cause them irreparable harm. The decision comes on the same day the EPA finished accepting public comments on the Clean Power Plan.
When implemented, the Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon pollution from power plants, promote clean energy, improve public health, and reduce electric bills for customers across the United States. Comments submitted by the Grand Canyon Trust call on the EPA to take into account the specific needs of Native American communities, and aggressively pursue renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as well as energy efficiency solutions like weatherizing homes and businesses.
“The Clean Power Plan provides a path toward a clean energy future for Arizona,” says Anne Mariah Tapp, Energy Director for the Grand Canyon Trust. “Under the Plan, Arizona will benefit from its incredible potential for generating electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar photo-voltaics, while also lowering customer utility bills across the state.”
Under the Clean Power Plan, Arizona will reduce its carbon pollution by 34 percent. Arizona also has the opportunity to opt in to a Clean Energy Incentive Program that provides incentives for building renewable energy projects and developing energy efficiency programs for tribal, low-income, and vulnerable communities – the same communities that spend a disproportionate part of their income to pay electric bills.
A recent study by Synapse Energy Economics, a research firm specializing in energy, economic, and environmental issues, found that if the Clean Power Plan rigorously promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy, Arizonans could save as much as $30 a month on their electric bills.
“The Clean Power Plan provides tremendous flexibility in reducing carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel power plants and advancing clean energy solutions,” said Rick Moore, Clean Energy & Efficiency Director for the Grand Canyon Trust. “The Trust looks forward to working with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, electric utilities, businesses, and cities as Arizona implements the Clean Power Plan.”
