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THE WHITE HflUSE OFFICE 

REFERRAL

September 18, 2013 

TO: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

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ID:	1122601

MEDIA:	EMAIL 

DOCUMENT DATE: September 16, 2013 

TO:	 PRESIDENT OBAMA 

FROM:	THE HONORABLE LISA MURKOWSKI 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

WASHINGTON, DC 20510 

SUBJECT:	EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER THE PLANS FOR EPA TO ISSUE 

UNPRECENDENTED GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS FOR BOTH NEW AND 

EXISTING ELECTRIC GENERATING UNITS 

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DATE RECEIVED: September 17, 2013	 CASE ID: 1122601


NAME OF CORRESPONDENT: THE HONORABLE LISA MURKOWSKI 

SUBJECT: EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER THE PLANS FOR EPA TO ISSUE UNPRECENDENTED 

GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS FOR BOTH NEW AND EXISTING ELECTRIC 

GENERATING UNITS

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 	 R	09/18/2013 

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September 16, 2013 

President Barack Obama 

The White House 

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 

Washington, DC 20500 

Dear Mr. President: 

We are writing to express our grave concerns over the plans for the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue unprecedented greenhouse gas 

(GHG) regulations for both new and existing electric generating units. Such rules would 

disproportionately affect fossil fuel-based electricity plants, which have been and remain 

the foundation for stable and low-cost power generation in America. These concerns 

are compounded by your recent speech on climate change at Georgetown University. 

There has already been significant progress in energy efhciency for buildings, 

vehicle mileage standards, efficiency in power distribution, and power plant 

technologies throughout the United States. According to the Energy Information 

Administration's August 2012 report, the first quarter of 2012 saw the lowest level of 

energy demand-related carbon dioxide emissions since 1992. Carbon dioxide emissions 

from coal plants in the same period were the lowest of any quarter since 1986. 

While we should continue working to reduce emissions, doing so in a way that 

denies the opportunity for incremental improvements and technological innovations over 

time is unreasonable. America is what it is today because of such innovations, many of 

which were supported by federal R&D not forced into existence by regulation. 

Our nation can continue to use coal and continue to lower emissions at the same 

time. Coa!-based power generation projects are being developed throughout the world, 

and many of them are using state-of-the-art technologies that can lay the foundation for 

advancements in power plant efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. As a 

result of these advances, the goal of near-zero emissions from coal is within sight. In 

addition, advancements in technology are allowing us to modernize the existing coalfueled fleet by improving efficiency and reducing emissions, while continuing to produce 

low-cost electricity for homes, offices and factories. 

If adopted as recently proposed, EPA rules will effectively ban these new plants 

from being built. Further, EPA regulations could prevent existing sources from making 

upgrades to improve efficiency, which would provide more electricity with less fuel and 

reduced emissions. Unduly burdensome regulation could destroy years of research in
r 

SA MURKOWSKI 

U.S. Senator

.^	 9 

DON YOUNCV

Congressman for AII Alaska

.	^ 

emissions technology, eliminate scientific and engineering jobs, and stymie growth 

opportunities in America's manufacturing and construction sectors. 

Lastly, we must state our unease on the matter of jurisdiction concerning GHG 

emissions. The Clean Air Act was written by Congress to regulate criteria pollutants, not 

greenhouse gases, and its implementation remains subject to oversight and guidance 

from elected representatives. We should continue our work to pass meaningful energy 

and climate legislation, but in the rneantime, we wi11 not turn a blind eye to efforts to 

impose back-door climate regulations with no input from Congress. 

We respectfully request that you make some effort to work with elected 

representatives in Congress before imposing regulations that have failed thus far to 

even differentiate between the different types of fuel. Only together can we create 

thoughtfully considered policy that is capable of attracting broad support and avoiding 

harm to our infrastructure and economy. 

Sincerely,