TAUC Statement on Clean Power Plan

August 4 2015

ARLINGTON, VA – The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) CEO Steve Lindauer issued the following statement in response to the release of EPA’s Clean Power Plan:

“Although we must still closely scrutinize the details of the Clean Power Plan, the broad outline of the final rule is troubling, to say the least. Despite the major investment by energy producers in technology to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation and the significant reductions in emissions from the power sector over the past two decades, EPA’s proposal calls for impractical and expensive reductions in carbon emissions.

“In mandating a 32% cut in power plant emissions from 2005 levels – an increase from the already unrealistic 30% cut the agency originally proposed – EPA’s plan will inflict far-reaching damage on U.S. power plants, the union industrial construction and maintenance industry and its skilled workforce, and U.S. consumers. The fact that EPA extends the mandate deadline from 2020 to 2022 is cold comfort for the hundreds of coal-fired power plants that will be unable to meet the government’s extreme demands. Many plants will have no choice but to shut down, further reducing the strength and reliability of the U.S. energy grid and guaranteeing vastly higher utility bills for American consumers.

“The closure of coal-fired power plants will also spell disaster for skilled union craft workers and their union contractor partners. Rather than slashing carbon emissions, the Clean Power Plan will instead slash tens of thousands of good-paying middle-class jobs.

“The Clean Power Plan is well-intentioned but misguided, and its release is far from the end of this battle. TAUC intends to closely monitor forthcoming legal actions by the U.S. utility industry and numerous states to prevent EPA from taking these reckless and far-reaching steps. Where appropriate, TAUC intends to support these and other efforts for the sake of not only the union construction and maintenance industry but also U.S. consumers.”

ABOUT TAUC: The Association of Union Constructors is the premier national trade association for the 21st century union construction and maintenance industry. Our more than 2,000 member firms include union contractor companies, local union contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. We demonstrate that union construction is the best option because it is safer and more productive, and provides a higher quality and cost-competitive product. For more information, log on to www.tauc.org.