GOP govs to Congress: Block EPA climate rules

A mostly Republican group of 20 state and territorial governors is urging Congress to block EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

A letter Wednesday from the governors – 18 Republicans and two Democrats – to House and Senate leaders alleges that planned EPA rules to limit heat-trapping emissions would harm their state economies.

“We feel compelled to guard against a regulatory approach that would increase the cost of electricity and gasoline prices, manufactured products, and ultimately harm the competitiveness of the U.S. economy,” states the letter to Democratic and GOP leadership.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and several House members floated a plan last week to temporarily block -- for two years -- EPA regulation of emissions from stationary industrial sources like power plants and factories.

A rival plan spearheaded by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) would go further by completely nullifying EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases under its current Clean Air Act powers.

The governors’ letter doesn’t mention either plan specifically, but appears to reject the Rockefeller approach. The governors write that “a simple delay of EPA action will do nothing to provide relief to Americans looking for jobs or businesses looking to make new investments in our states.”

Obama administration officials say they would prefer addressing emissions through broad energy and climate legislation, but that EPA will move forward in the absence of congressional action.

Advocates of emissions limits also dispute claims that regulation will cause the various harms that the governors and other critics claim. EPA plans to begin phasing in emissions rules for industrial sources next year but has pledged a go-slow approach.