[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4850 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4850

 To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of 
    carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants under certain 
                             circumstances.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2014

    Mr. Daines (for himself and Mr. Johnson of Ohio) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of 
    carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants under certain 
                             circumstances.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coal Jobs and Affordable Energy 
Protection Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) America has enough coal to last for 200 years. Today 
        this abundant, low-cost, and reliable resource generates 
        approximately 40 percent of the Nation's electricity--more than 
        any other energy source. But new estimates show that because of 
        looming regulatory restrictions, a large number of America's 
        coal-fired plants would be forced to close over the next 6 
        years, weakening the reliability of the power grid, increasing 
        the price of energy, and depriving consumers of enough 
        generating capacity to supply electricity to as many as 50 
        million homes.
            (2) Consumers should not be forced to pay for unproven 
        technology. The Environmental Protection Agency's performance 
        standards for new coal-fired power plants rely on ``carbon 
        capture and storage'' technology that is not only unproven, but 
        also prohibitively expensive. One Department of Energy official 
        recently told Congress that implementing this technology could 
        increase the wholesale price of electricity by as much as 80 
        percent.
            (3) Higher energy prices hit the poor harder. Policies that 
        increase the price of electricity tax those who can least 
        afford it--elderly Americans on fixed incomes and low-income 
        families. Households with annual incomes at $50,000 or less 
        already spend more of their budgets on energy than on food. 
        Policies that hike the price of electricity will harm most 
        those already on tight budgets.
            (4) More expensive electricity hurts American industry. 
        Policies that produce higher and more volatile electricity 
        costs harm many of America's basic industries, damaging their 
        ability to control costs, generate profits, and compete in 
        global markets. For the United States steel industry, for 
        example, a 1 cent increase in the price of electricity adds 
        $450 million in additional expense--money that won't be used to 
        improve operations and increase employment.
            (5) Coal-fired power plants today are cleaner and more 
        efficient than ever before. The coal plants of the 21st century 
        emit 40 percent less carbon dioxide than the average 20th 
        century coal plant, and the technology is constantly improving. 
        Policies that shut down generating capacity and raise prices--
        rather than nurture the development of additional coal 
        technologies--will only harm all of the Nation's energy users, 
        families, and businesses alike.

SEC. 3. REGULATION OF EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM NEW OR EXISTING 
              POWER PLANTS.

    (a) Limitation on Regulation.--The Clean Air Act is amended by 
inserting after section 312 (42 U.S.C. 7612) the following:

``SEC. 313. LIMITATION ON REGULATION OF EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE 
              FROM NEW OR EXISTING POWER PLANTS.

    ``(a) Definition of New or Existing Power Plant.--In this section, 
the term `new or existing power plant' means a fossil fuel-fired power 
plant that commences operation at any time.
    ``(b) Limitation.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law 
(including regulations), the Administrator may not promulgate any 
regulation or guidance that limits or prohibits any new carbon dioxide 
emissions from a new or existing power plant, and no such regulation or 
guidance shall have any force or effect, until the date on which--
            ``(1) the Secretary of Labor certifies to the Administrator 
        that the regulation or guidance will not generate any loss of 
        employment;
            ``(2) the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
        certifies to the Administrator that the regulation or guidance 
        will not result in any loss in the gross domestic product of 
        the United States;
            ``(3) the Administrator of the Energy Information 
        Administration certifies to the Administrator that the 
        regulation or guidance will not generate any increase in 
        electricity rates in the United States; and
            ``(4) the Chairperson of the Federal Energy Regulatory 
        Commission and the President of the North American Electric 
        Reliability Corporation certify to the Administrator the 
        reliability of electricity delivery under the regulation or 
        guidance.''.
    (b) Technical Correction.--The Clean Air Act is amended by 
redesignating the second section 317 (42 U.S.C. 7617) (relating to 
economic impact assessment) as section 318.
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