Press Releases
01/19/2021
Attorney General Tong Statement on Decision Striking Down Trump "Dirty Power" Rule
Connecticut Was Among 22 States, 7 Local Governments Suing to Protect Climate
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement regarding the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Dirty Power” rule. Connecticut was among 22 states and seven local governments that sued in 2019 to block the Trump Administration’s inaccurately named Affordable Clean Energy Rule.The ACE rule replaced the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever nationwide limits on one of the largest sources of climate change pollution – existing fossil-fueled power plants. The EPA’s rule sought to roll back these limits and would have had virtually no impact on these emissions, prolonging the nation’s reliance on polluting, expensive coal power plants and obstructing progress of states toward clean, renewable, and affordable electricity generation.
“This decision is a major rebuke of the Trump Administration’s lawless anti-science agenda. The Dirty Power rule was a craven attempt to enrich the fossil-fuel industry at the expense of our climate and public health. It’s time to recognize the enormous damage that is being done to our environment and our economy by outdated and expensive coal plants and to fully embrace the transition to clean, renewable and truly affordable power,” said Attorney General Tong.
Assistant attorneys general Scott Koschwitz and Matt Levine, Head of the Environment Department, assisted the Attorney General in this matter.
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