June 26, 2012 (ARLINGTON, VA.) – The CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Glenn English, made the following statement today on the Federal Appeals Court decision to uphold the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
Today’s decision by the Federal Appeals Court upholding EPA regulation of greenhouse gases, while disappointing, is not unexpected. Years ago the dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, John Dingell, predicted that the legislature’s reluctance to act on this issue would lead to “a glorious mess” of regulatory activity. Today’s Circuit Court ruling is yet another step down that path and should serve as a wake-up call to Congress – America needs an updated Clean Air Act for the 21st Century not a “glorious mess” of regulation and litigation.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.