Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined a coalition of 20 states in supporting the Trump Administration’s Affordable Clean Energy rule against a court challenge by Democrat attorneys general.
The coalition seeks to intervene in defense of repealing the so-called Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era regulation which would have subjected Americans to higher electricity costs and could have weakened the nation’s power grid.
“We are proud to join this strong coalition in support of affordable clean energy, and we appreciate the Trump administration’s recognition that President Obama’s Clean Power Plan was an unlawful attempt to force bad policy on the nation,” Attorney General Paxton said. “With their deep understanding of local resources, needs, and capabilities, States are far better placed to develop energy policies that protect the environment, grow the economy, and provide the public with safe and affordable energy.”
Unlike the failed Clean Power Plan, the Affordable Clean Energy rule will respect the role of state leadership in regulating energy and air quality. It is a significant step forward in embracing Congress’ intent for cooperation between the state and federal governments. This is a strong contrast with the Obama-era, one-size-fits-all model that threatened to devastate communities across the nation. Such cooperation restores each state’s authority to consider factors specific to the energy needs and facilities in their borders, including costs, practical achievability, and the useful life of any particular power plant.
Along with Texas, the West Virginia-led motion was joined by attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and the governors of Kentucky and Mississippi, and the Mississippi Public Service Commission.