It’s Time to Develop Wisconsin’s Clean Power Plan

Recently, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on the EPA’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), the most significant step our country has ever taken to address climate change. The outcome of this legal challenge will have major environmental and public health ramifications for Wisconsin and the nation.

A diverse coalition of public health, environmental, religious organizations and major Wisconsin businesses support the CPP’s commonsense approach to addressing climate change and recognize that the plan presents many environmental, health and economic opportunities for our state.

The CPP sets achievable, science-based carbon emission limits on electricity generated using coal and natural gas based on proven, cost-effective approaches that have been used for years to reduce emissions of harmful air pollution. Importantly, it provides states with extraordinary flexibility in choosing how to meet the plan’s requirements given state-specific conditions....

...There is no question climate change will have significant negative impacts on our health, natural resources, and economy, particularly if we continue to fail to take proactive action. Our policymakers need to look forward and not backward, and recognize that the future requires a speedy transition to a low carbon electric system, and that this transition will help, not harm, Wisconsin.