NRECA and 10 electric cooperative leaders told Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy that the agency’s pending carbon dioxide limits on power plants will burden the lowest-income consumers and threaten electricity reliability for all.
“Our ongoing effort is to continue to raise particular concerns co-ops have about EPA’s rule and have co-op leaders speak face-to-face with the EPA administrator,” said NRECA CEO Jo Ann Emerson following the April 14 meeting.
NRECA CEO Jo Ann Emerson gives EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy a brochure on co-op solar energy projects at meeting on the agency’s carbon dioxide rule.“We appreciate Administrator McCarthy listening to our concerns and receiving our input,” said Mel Coleman, NRECA board president and CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Salem.
“As not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperatives, we are charged with providing reliable, affordable electricity to some of the poorest areas in the nation. We take this responsibility very seriously and always work as advocates for our members.”
Under the rule, a large portion of coal-based generation that co-ops rely on would be shut down before their debt is paid off, the co-op officials said. The CEOs emphasized that these costs, forecast to be in the billions of dollars, would hit members hard.