Report: Obama's EPA Threatens to Knock Out Nearly 10% Of the US Power Supply

The report comes from the Institute for Energy Research, and comes complete with a map, below the block quote:

Currently, EPA is leading the Obama administration’s assault on coal with a number of new regulations. Two of the most important are the “transport rule” and the “toxics rule” (Utility MACT). Combined, these regulations will systematically reduce access to affordable and reliable energy. According to our report:

• EPA Regulations Will Close At Least 28 GW of Generating Capacity

EPA modeling and power-plant operator announcements show that EPA regulations will close at least 28 gigawatts (GW) of American generating capacity, the equivalent of closing every power plant in the state of North Carolina or Indiana. Also, 28 GW is 8.9 percent of our total coal generating capacity.

• Current Retirements Almost Twice As High As EPA Predicted

EPA’s power plant-level modeling projected that Agency regulations would close 14.5 GW of generating capacity.  That number rises to 28 GW when including additional announced retirements related to EPA rules, almost twice the amount EPA projected.  Moreover, this number will grow as plant operators continue to release their EPA compliance plans.

• Announced and Projected Retirements Higher Than Worst Case Scenarios

Analysis by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the entity in charge of grid reliability, projected that EPA’s Transport Rule and Toxics Rule would close 20 GW of generating capacity.  This list indicates that at least 28 GW will retire.  EPA’s Transport Rule and Toxics Rule push U.S. energy security past the NERC worst case scenario.

• EPA’s New Regulations Will Hit States Trying To Get Back On Their Feet

Current announcements and EPA projections indicate that EPA regulations have a dramatic impact on states reeling from economic hardship.

• Ohio: 2,894 MW retired, 8.6% of state total generating capacity.

• West Virginia: 2,448 MW retired, 14% of state total generating capacity.

• Indiana: 2,168 MW retired, 7.5% of state total generating capacity.

• Tennessee: 1,376 MW retired, 6.2% of state total generating capacity.

• Missouri: 1,325 MW retired, 6.3% of state total generating capacity.

• Wisconsin:  902 MW retired, 5% of state total generating capacity.

Notice anything? No, I’m saying that red and swing states bear the brunt, though we do. New York and California also take some power hits. I’m just noticing how asinine it is to force all these plants offline or at the very least to undergo expensive unnecessary renovations. The occupying army is going to be mighty confused when they can’t mooch off the local McDonald’s to charge up their iPhones because the lights are out. Or get charged for the privilege of using someone else’s now more expensive electricity.

In his presser yesterday, President Obama tried setting up opposition to his regulations as some sort of straw man false argument:

OBAMA: “The answer we’re getting right now is: Well, we’re going to roll back all these Obama regulations… Does anybody really think that that is going to create jobs right now and meet the challenges of a global economy?”

As I noted earlier today, even the AP smacked him for that one:

THE FACTS: Well, yes, some think it will. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce last month submitted a jobs proposal to Obama that included a call to ease regulations on businesses. It specifically called for streamlining environmental reviews on major construction projects and to delay the issuance of some potentially burdensome regulations until the economy and employment have improved. In the letter, Chamber President Thomas Donohue also called on Congress to pass legislation that would require congressional approval of major regulations. The chamber did not indicate how many jobs such regulatory changes could create, but it said: “Immediate regulatory relief is required in order to begin moving $1 trillion-$2 trillion in accumulated private capital off of the sidelines and into business expansion.”

It’s obvious to anyone but the man in the White House, that you can regulate something right out of existence. He seems to be trying to do that to energy, without which our economy will not function.

If you like your 9.1% unemployment, you’ll get to keep it. And add to it.