[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13514]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             THE ADMINISTRATION'S CLEAN POWER PLAN AND COAL

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I would like to shift gears for a moment 
and share some comments about President Obama's news that he made 
yesterday with the EPA. Yesterday, President Obama and the ``Employment 
Prevention'' Agency, the EPA, continued to wage their war on American 
energy, American families, and American jobs. As President Obama was 
announcing his plan to devastate Montana's coal industry and the good-
paying jobs it provides, yet another coal company filed for bankruptcy.
  At the same time, the J.E. Corette powerplant, in my home State of 
Montana in Billings, is being dismantled as we speak in the aftermath 
of President Obama's previous anti-coal regulation. In addition to 
supporting 30 jobs, the Corette powerplant has powered tens of 
thousands of Montana homes and contributed several million dollars in 
tax revenue to Montana and Yellowstone County every year.
  Over the past year, Montanans have braced themselves for the release 
of the Obama administration's final regulations, which were already set 
to wreak havoc on our coal industry and make construction of any new 
coal-fired plant virtually impossible. The proposed rule was bad. The 
final rule is even more devastating to Montana jobs and to Montana 
families.
  The final rule announced by the Obama administration makes the 
retirement of existing coal-fired powerplants inevitable within the 
next few decades.
  The rules moved the goalposts and, I might add, to the wrong end of 
the field. These rules will most likely lead to the shuttering of 
Montana's Colstrip Power Plant and countless others across the Nation. 
It would be devastating for our economy and hard-working families 
across the State.
  Energy rates will increase. Thousands of Montana family-wage jobs 
would be lost. Critical tax revenue for schools, for our teachers, 
roads, and our infrastructure would evaporate. In the Obama 
administration's final rule, they took an already bad rule and they 
made it worse.
  The so-called Clean Power Plan forces Montana to achieve even more 
aggressive standards than originally proposed. According to POLITICO, 
in 2012 Montana produced 2,481 carbon pounds per megawatt hour.
  Under the President's plan, by 2030, he wants Montana to produce only 
1,305 carbon pounds per megawatt hour. That is a 47.4-percent reduction 
in Montana's carbon emissions because in Montana more than half of our 
electricity comes from coal. In fact, my mobile device is powered by 
coal. Coal also powers good-paying jobs for thousands of Montanans, 
including Montana tribal members and union workers, and generates 
nearly $120 million in tax revenue every year.
  America is poised to lead the world's energy needs, but this will be 
done through American innovation, through American ingenuity, not more 
regulations. The Obama administration's regulations are completely out 
of touch with global realities, and this is why: Global demand for 
coal-fired energy will not disappear, even if the United States shuts 
down every last coal mine and coal-fired powerplant.
  Nations such as China, Korea, and Japan will continue using coal as 
it is reliable and it is affordable. These nations should be powered by 
cleaner Montana coal because the coal we produce in Montana is cleaner 
than Asian coal.
  In terms of the environmental picture for the world, we are better 
off using American coal, Montana coal--not coal from Asia. Rather than 
dismissing this reality, the United States should be on the cutting 
edge of technological advances in energy development and leading the 
way in promoting the use of clean, affordable American energy.
  In fact, according to the International Energy Agency's 2013 data, 
the world consumes about 6 billion metric tons of steam coal for power 
generation. Of that, the United States consumes 750 million metric 
tons.
  Let's put that into apples-to-apples comparison. That means the 
United States consumes about 12 percent of the coal. The rest of the 
world consumes 88 percent. As the world sees an increased demand for 
power, it is clear we need to be leading the way in clean coal and 
energy innovation.
  The United States should be leading. Let's be working toward clean 
coal, clean energy, and leading the world as our 12 percent could have 
an influence on the other 88 percent.
  America, we can and we should power the world, but we could only do 
it if the Obama administration steps back from its out-of-touch 
regulations and allows American innovation to thrive once again to not 
only lead America but to lead the world.
  I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.

                          ____________________