ALEC Likely Behind Anti-Greenhouse Gas Bills

A rundown of some recent bills proposed by ALEC.

ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is a corporate bill mill. Global corporations and state politicians create “model bills” behind closed doors and then they work to get these bills filed in state legislatures across the country. In ALEC’s own words, corporations have “a VOICE and a VOTE” on specific changes to laws that are then proposed in the states.

The most recent effort is to weaken EPA’s forthcoming rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants.  The EPA is responsible for regulating greenhouse gas emissions according to the Supreme Court. To that end, EPA will be proposing new rules this June to regulate carbon emissions from existing fossil-fuel based power plants. But, there is a plot afoot. In state houses across the country, shockingly similar legislation has sprung up. Louisiana’s bills can be found here and here. Below is the run down on what the state bills have in common:
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I. Resolves to create a double standard in the state’s carbon standard where carbon limits would be set at levels that individual coal or gas plants can meet on their own, without using flexible compliance measures. Utilities would be allowed to comply with carbon pollution limits using the maximum amount of flexibility under the law.

• Alabama SJR 57
• Arizona – SCR 1022
• Florida  SM 1174
• Illinois SR 912
• Missouri SCR 40
• Nebraska LR 482
• Tennessee HJR 663
• West Virginia HR 13
• Wyoming SJ 01
• Louisiana SB 650

II. Fails to recognize that states must submit plans that meet minimum Clean Air Act requirements, and these plans must be approved by EPA. In so doing, the resolution ignores and defies the law of the land.

• Alabama SJR 57
• Arizona – SCR 1022
• Florida  SM 1174
• Georgia HR 1158
• Illinois SR 912
• Iowa HR 118
• Missouri SCR 40
• Nebraska LR 482
• Tennessee HJR 663
• West Virginia HR 13
• Wyoming SJ 01
• South Dakota HCR 1022
• Louisiana SB 650

III. Allows for weaker carbon limits for any individual plant based on hard to verify facts

• Alabama SJR 57
• Arizona – SCR 1022
• Florida  SM 1174
• Illinois SR 912
• Missouri SCR 40
• Nebraska LR 482
• Wyoming SJ 01
• Louisiana SB 650

IV. Resolves that EPA should set new source standards for fossil-fuel fired plants based on ultra-supercritcal plants without CCS.

• Georgia HR 1158
• South Dakota HCR 1022