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Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) voted in support of H.R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act of 2015.

H.R. 2042 is a response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule regulating the carbon dioxide emissions of existing power plants, which according to some estimates could cost nearly half a trillion dollars over the next fifteen years.  The bill would require judicial review of the final rule to conclude before states must comply with the regulation, and would allow state governors to opt out if they determine that compliance would have a significant adverse effect on ratepayers or electric reliability.  H.R. 2042 is sponsored by Congressman Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

“Congressman Whitfield’s bill is a commonsense approach to challenging a proposed rule from the EPA that will result in higher energy costs for Kentucky families and business owners,” said Congressman Guthrie.  “By establishing a check at the state level, a governor can determine whether the state’s compliance with the rule will drive up costs or affect the reliability of electricity for consumers and businesses – and if so, the state can elect not to comply.”

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered two cases challenging the EPA’s proposal but did not rule on the merits, stating that the regulation was not final, a requirement that must be met before a legal challenge can be considered.

“Quite simply, this bill puts consumers first.  The EPA continues to insert itself more and more into every facet of our daily lives and they must be stopped before consumers can no longer afford to light and heat their homes, and businesses can no longer afford to locate in Kentucky, which has one of the lowest average costs for electricity in the country,” added Congressman Guthrie.

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