By Phil Riske | Managing Editor
(STATE CAPITOL) – In a move to grab some turf for the state in the ever-going battle with the EPA over CO2 emissions, the state Senate Tuesday afternoon approved the establishment (SB1007) of a committee to work on Arizona’s implementation of the federal pollution regulations on existing power plants.
The vote was 30-0 to establish the mouthful Joint Legislative Review Committee on State Implementation Plans Relating to Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Existing Power Plants. It is to develop factors that may be considered in reviewing the State Implementation Plan (SIP) before it’s submitted to EPA by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
The EPA last year established the Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule, which aims to reduce nationwide carbon emissions by 30 percent from the 2005 levels. The proposal establishes an interim goal states must meet for average carbon dioxide emission levels from 2020-2029 and a final goal that must be met by 2030.
Arizona has the second highest goal in the nation, next to Washington, at 52 percent reduction, a Senate reports stated.
The bill requires the ADEQ director, in consultation with the Arizona Corporation Commission to develop a plan to regulate the emissions of carbon dioxide from existing electric generation units in compliance with the rules adopted by the EPA.
