Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 2042), legislation to protect Oklahoma families and businesses from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan rule.

“I have made it my priority to stand against federal regulations that hurt our way of life in Oklahoma. There is no better example of just how out of control Washington is than the Obama administration’s so-called Clean Power Plan. By passing the Ratepayer Protection Act, the House has stood up for families and communities across the United States who simply cannot afford the economic impacts of the proposed rule. 

“We need to use our country’s vast energy resources efficiently while protecting the air we breathe, the water our kids swim in, and the land on which we raise our families. But, it is counterproductive for the federal government to enact regulations that are fundamentally flawed, would harm hardworking Americans and trample states’ rights. This proposed rule has real-life consequences for Oklahomans, and I am proud to support a bill that puts our families, communities, and businesses first.”

Projections have shown that the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan rule could lead to Oklahoma electricity prices increasing by 15 percent on average from 2017-2030; and, a recent analysis by the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) indicates that compliance with the EPA’s 2030 deadline would cost $2.9 billion per year. H.R. 2042 passed the House by a vote of 247-180 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

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