America’s Clean
Power Plan
In March of 2017 President Trump
signed the Energy Independence
Executive Order directing federal
agencies to review established
regulations aimed at climate change.
EPA Administrator Pruitt then confirmed
that the EPA would consider whether
to suspend, revise or rescind America’s
Clean Power Plan. Content describing
climate change and its impacts was re-
moved from the White House website.
Since then, various groups have
exercised the Freedom of Information
Act and taken other legal action,
requesting transparency about the EPA’s
efforts to dismantle established clean
energy regulations and protections.
Under U.S. law the EPA has a legal
obligation to address carbon pollution
emissions. In 2009, the EPA issued an
Endangerment Finding that identified
six greenhouse gas pollutants posing the
most danger to public health and welfare.
CO 2 accounts for over 80 percent of
all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from
human activities, and the largest source
of CO 2 , according to electric utility
reporting, comes from fossil fuel power
plants. The Endangerment Finding
called for the EPA to set greenhouse gas
emissions standards.
Reducing our
CO 2 Footprint
Goals were set and America began to
reduce its carbon footprint. In fact, the
U.S. has led the world in reducing CO 2
emissions. In 2015, it fell by 145 million
tons, by far the largest decline of any
country in the world.
Also in 2015, the EPA finalized the
Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon
pollution from power plants after a two-
year outreach and engagement process
with stakeholders (states, the electric
power sector, and the public).
Today, California continues to sup-
port a clean energy future. The Golden
State is among the lowest of all states in
terms of per capita carbon emissions,
and among the highest in terms of
producing significant energy from both
wind and solar. Let’s break it down.
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