South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined other state attorneys general in sending two letters to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding regulations that affect coal-fired power plants and energy costs.
The first letter, signed by 23 state attorneys general, expresses support for the EPA’s proposal to eliminate most of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), which was established in 2009 during the Obama administration. The group argues that the rule’s mandates exceed the EPA’s authority and claim that its costs outweigh any benefits.
A second letter, supported by 25 state attorneys general, advocates for an extension of the deadline for coal-fired power plants to comply with a water pollution rule introduced under President Biden. The letter also requests that the EPA rescind this rule entirely.
Attorney General Wilson stated, “Throughout the Obama and Biden administrations, we saw unelected bureaucrats overstepping their authority to do things that were costly and destructive, and every time, I fought against them. The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program has not been proven necessary to support any authorized purpose, and the Biden-era water pollution rules were apparently meant to push coal plants into retirement.”
Wilson noted that South Carolina is among 22 states currently involved in a lawsuit seeking to halt enforcement of the water pollution rule. That case remains pending.
Attorneys general from states including North Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming joined Wilson on the GHGRP letter. For the water pollution rule letter—which also asks for rescinding of the regulation—attorneys general from West Virginia and many of those same states as well as Kansas and Utah joined.
