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### ADVDCA."i'lr S 0F NEW 1°ORK
YOUR GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG

'I'estimony

Conor Bambrick Environmental Advocates of New York before The United States Environmental Protection Agency Public Hearings: Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule July 29, 2014

Climate pollution is a having a major impact on our health, our environment and our economy. Poor air quality is making our children sick and shortening the lives of some seniors. Rising temperatures, prolonged heat waves and severe storms are costing our economy billions in lost production and infrastructure and property damage. In directing the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to move forward with the Clean Power Plan, President Obama has demonstrated the leadership needed to finally addresa one of " the root causes of our changing climate.

The proposed rule, establishes the first national standard for regulating climate pollution from the country's power sector. It comes on the heels of a previous rule that sets carbonstandards for plant to be built in the future. That standard garnered the support of a bipartisan group of 50 New York State Legislators.

Environmental Advocates of New York Page 1 of 3The Clean Power Plan aims to cut power plant climate pollution by 30-percent of 2005 levels by the year 2030. Since fossil-fuel fired power plants are responsible for one-third of the nation's climate altering greenhouse gas emissions, it is only correct to target them for reduction. These actions will benefit the health and safety of our most vulnerablepopulations, driving a 25-percent cut in soot and smog causing pollution - key contributors to heart and respiratory diseases. Asthma is especially prevalent in New York, with an estimated 1.7 million people suffering from the disease. According to the New York State Comptroller, the state's asthma-related Medicaid expenditures rose more than 26-percent in the last five years adding up to $1.3 billion in health care costs and lost workforce productivity. Reducing power plant pollution will help avoid 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths, 150,000 asthma attacks in children and billions of dollars in health care costs
nationwide.

By setting state-by-state goals for climate pollution reductions, the EPA is providing the states with the flexibility they need to develop innovative plans designed to spur jobgrowth in the clean energy sector, lower consumer utility costs and improve health outcomes. New York State is uniquely positioned as a leader on this front. The state alreadyhas strict power plant carbon pollution standards for yet to be built plants and our participatio>i in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — and the successful clean energy and energy efficiency programs it has spawned — are being showcased as a national
model. '

Today in the RGGI region, climate pollutant emissions from the power sector are morethan 40-percent lower than they were when RGGI was initiated in 2005. New rules implemented in 2014, lowered the regional carbon cap by 45-percent, locking in emission reductions already achieved and placing the region on a path to cut carbon pollution by an additional 10-percent by 2018.

Environmental Advocates of New York Page 2 of 3The multi-state initiative operates as a carbon cap and trade program, with power plant owners required to purchase allowances for each ton of CO2 produced. RGGI allowance auctions have, thus far, generated over $1.75 billion. Those funds have been sent back tothe states where they have been invested in a variety of consumer benefit initiatives, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, direct bill assistance, and climate pollution reduction programs. New York has benefitted from well over $600 million in auction proceeds, of which over $400 million bas been allocated to renewable power, efficiency and clean energy technology and market innovation programs — creating jobs, lowering consumer costs and driving further reductions in emissions. To date, RGGI programs have provided energy bill savings and other benefts to more than 130,000 households and 2,500 businesses spanning all of New York State's 62 counties.

Environmental Advocates supports the Clean Power Plan and strongly encourage the EPA to offer up New York's and the other Northeast states' experience with RGGI as ademonstration of climate action driving positive economic, public health and environmental outcomes. In addition, we urge the EPA to establish carbon reduction targets forNew York that will drive the state to continue to improve upon and expand its commitments to climate pollution reductions and investments in clean energy across all economic sectors.

Environmental Advocates of New York Page 3 of 3