My name is Craig Stine. I live in Greenville, South Carolina. I am a customer of Duke Power at my primary residence and of Blue Ridge Electric at a cabin I co-own.

I speak as concerned citizen and as a parent oftwo young-adult children.

I am here because I strongly supportthe Clean Power Plan.

I am here because particulate pollution from coal-fired power plants damages the health of millions ofAmericans and leads to premature deaths; because the combustion of coal emits pollutantsthat trigger asthma attacks and harm normal lung development; 1 because the Clean Power Plan is projected to reduce these pollutants by over 25 percent. 2 I am here because I want my children and grandchildren to live in a· world with healthier air to breathe.

I am here because it is long past due for our country to take seriously the costly consequences of climate change and that of carbon emissions from power plants. The fifth, and latest report, from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change adds to the overwhelming scientific evidence that burning fossil fuels is causing climate change with carbon dioxide accounting for nearlythree-fourths ofglobal greenhouse gas emissions3 In the United States carbon dioxide makes up 84% of all greenhouse gas emissions. And the biggest source of carbon emissions in the U.S.? Fossil fuel-fired power plants, which contribute one-third oftotal greenhouse gas emissions. 4

1I am here because ofwhat the consequences of climate change mean for my children and grandchildren.
Already we see the more intense and severe droughts, wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes. According to the chief ofthe U.S. Forest Service, America's wildfire season lasts two months longer and burns up twice as much land than it did 40 years ago because of the hotter, drier conditions produced by climate change. 5

In 2012 climate-related droughts, super storms, hurricanes, blizzards, heat waves, and wildfires killed 349 people and caused an estimated $140 billion in damages. The cost to the federal government was nearly $100 billion- more than the government spent on either education or transportation- and about $1,100 per American taxpayer. 6

Due to climate change, sea levels are rising faster. Over the last 20 years, the average annual increase in relative sea level has been twice what it was for the previous 90 years. Our Atlantic and Gulfcoasts are among the areas seeing the highest increases. My daughter lives in Charleston, South Carolina. In just 50 years the relative sea level along the South Carolina coast has risen about 6 inches7 It is estimated that within 40 years the South Carolina coast is likely to see extreme floods more than 4 feet above high tide resulting in billions of dollars in damage. 8

2I am here because the Clean Power Plan is a reasonable, cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions. States have flexibility in meetingtheir individualized targets- targets based on each state's potential for alternative energy production and energy efficiency measures.

And states have shown that they can rapidly reduce carbon emissions. In a recent submission to the EPA, fifteen states laid out howthey each reduced carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 20 percent in just six years (2005 to 2011) with some states achieving carbon reductions in the range of 30 to 46 percent9

I am here because we have a choice. We can do nothing and just continue to spend taxpayer dollars on band-aids to clean up and rebuild communities devastated by the loss of lives, homes and businesses from increasingly severe weather events and rising sea levels: costs that will continue to increase topping an estimated $500 billion per year by 2050. 10 I am here because I want to help preventthis damage, save lives, save taxpayer dollars and reduce this burden for my children and future generations.

I am here because, as a nation, we can choose to spend our moneywisely to make things better. The Clean Power Plan will lead to increased spending in renewable, cleaner and more efficient energy technologies- investments that, over the long term, will reduce the devastating and costly impact of greenhouse gas emissions- investments that will benefit my children and future generations through higher economic growth and improved health.

3I am, according to a Washington Post Poll, among the more than two-thirds ofAmericans who support carbon pollution limits on power plants. 11 I support the Clean Power Plan because I do not want to further endanger and burden my children, grandchildren and future generations through inaction. Instead I hope we will seize this opportunity to improve their lives by fully implementingthe Clean Power Plan.

Thank you.

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Footnotes 1. http://www.momscleanairforce.org/focus-on-coal/. 2. "Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan Benefits, Why We Need a Cleaner, More Efficient Power Sector," U.S. EPA, http://www2.epa.gov

## Icarbon-pollution-standards/fact-sheet-cleanpower-plan-benefits. 3. "Fifth Time is the Charm: The Definitive Word on Climate Science," Dan Lashof's Blog, Switchboard, Natural Resources Defense Council Staff blog, posted September 27, 2013. 4. "Fact Sheet, Clean Power Plan, By the Numbers, Cutting Carbon Pollution from Power Plants," U.S. EPA, http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/fact-sheet-cleanpower-plan; "U.S. EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2011," http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/usinventoryreport.html; "Fact Sheet: Clean Power Plan Benefits, Why We Need a Cleaner, More Efficient Power Sector," U.S. EPA, http:/ /www2.epa.gov

## Icarbon-pollution-standards/fact-sheet-clean-power-planbenefits. 5. http://www.theguard ian.com/world/2013/jun/04/climate-change-america-wildfire-season, http://www.momscleanairforce.org/extreme-weather-facts/. 6. http://www.nrdc.o rg/globalwarming/taxpayer-ei imate-costs.asp; http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climate-disruption-tax.asp. 7. http://www.epa.gov

## Ielimatechange/science/indicators/oceans/sea-level.html. 8. "Report: High seas risk extreme floods in SC," The Greenville News, July 22, 2014. 9. Letter to Gena McCarthy, EPA, December 16, 2013, from agroup of state environmental agency leaders, energy agency leaders, and public utility commissioners from 15 states. 10. http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/files/CIimateDisruptionTax.pdf. 11. "What the EPA's Clean Power Plan Looks Like in Practice," Eric Pooley, HBR Blog Network, June 5, 2014, http:!/blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/what-the-epas-clean-power-plan-looks-like-inpractice/.

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