Troutman Sanders’ Partner Peter Glaser was quoted in Greenwire’s recent article regarding Virginia state lawmakers’ attempt to limit the effect of forthcoming U.S. EPA carbon dioxide rules on their state’s utility sector. The Virginia Senate’s Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on January 29, 2014, on bill by GOP Sen. Charles Carrico that would direct state regulators to require utilities to adopt onlywidely deployed efficiency measures to complywith the federal rule.
In discussing the bill, Mr. Glaser said the Virginia Legislature would be within its rights to pass legislation limiting the scope of EPA’s rule within the commonwealth, as Carrico’s bill would do. “EPA has talked about allowing states flexibility here,” he noted. NRDC’s proposal, meanwhile, would lead EPA to overstep its statutory authority under 111(d) and would cause fuel switching, he said.
“The standards are so strict that coal plants can’t meet them, so the only way you can meet those standards is to shutter additional coal plants or reduce their operation,” he said.
Read the full article here: Va. bill aims to constrain EPA power plant rule