Markey is the co-author of the only comprehensive climate change legislation to ever pass a chamber of Congress

Washington (August 3, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-Chair of the Senate Climate Clearinghouse, released the following statement on President Obama’s Clean Power Plan.  

“The Clean Power Plan embodies what makes America great: it is ambitious, it is flexible, and it is achievable. This plan captures the scientific urgency, economic opportunity and moral imperative necessary to avoid the worse consequences of climate change. The same people who deny the science of climate change and say the emissions reductions targets in this plan cannot be reached are the same people who ally themselves with fossil fuel companies with a vested interest in blocking action. The Clean Power Plan provides states the flexibility to meet new targets with incentives that will help unleash clean energy technologies in every state of the union.

“As a nation, we have a choice. We can continue to pump harmful carbon pollution into our skies and foreign oil into our cars, or we can pump new life into our economy, creating clean energy jobs and saving Americans money on their energy costs. We know that by cutting carbon pollution, we can grow our economy, save American families money and protect the health of children and seniors. We did it in Massachusetts through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, generating nearly $3 billion in economic benefit and saving consumers $1.5 billion since 2009. With nearly 100,000 clean energy jobs, Massachusetts can be a model as other states develop their emissions reductions plans under the Clean Power Plan.  

“Six years ago, when coal companies had the opportunity to support the Waxman-Markey bill, they chose regulation over legislation. They helped kill the bill and put us on the path toward these new rules. Climate deniers in Congress will call this plan a war on coal, but it is a really a war on carbon pollution. This Plan is a signal to the marketplace to invest in clean energy and a signal to the world that America will lead the global effort for climate action. I applaud President Obama and Administrator McCarthy for their leadership and charting this course towards America’s clean energy future.”

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