Delaware pollution reductions have proven this approach can be successful
Wilmington, DE – Governor Jack Markell released a statement today supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of a proposed regulation to combat climate change by reducing power plant carbon pollution by 30 percent by 2030.
“The impact of climate change is clear, from rising sea levels to more powerful and frequent extreme weather events that put Delaware families and businesses at risk. We have an obligation to address the root cause of these changes and that means limiting carbon pollution from our power plants.
“I applaud the President for taking bold action with an approach that achieves significant emissions reductions while maximizing flexibility for states and power companies to make the changes that work best for them. I know this approach can work because we’ve seen its environmental and economic benefits in Delaware. By shutting down or fuel-switching our dirtiest power plants, we achieved faster emissions reductions than any other state while reducing energy bills through efficiency, and creating opportunities for research, manufacturing, and construction jobs. Importantly, the EPA encourages more partnerships like the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in which Delaware and eight other states have joined to reduce carbon pollution from power plants by more than 40 percent since 2005.
“This effort can provide the catalyst to make the dramatic changes necessary to protect our communities and transition to a clean energy economy. We cannot afford to wait.”