Lawmakers warn EPA its ‘Clean Power Plan 2.0’ could have ‘catastrophic’ effect on electric grid

FIRST ON FOX: Twenty-six House lawmakers penned a letter to Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan warning him and the agency against implementing their "Clean Power Plan 2.0."

Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., led the letter to the administrator, predicting rules outlined in the plan will endanger electrical grid reliability for 65 million Americans from New Jersey to North Carolina.

Smucker, whose Lancaster district is home to hydroelectric stations on the Susquehanna River, said new EPA rules target coal and gas plants and requested Regan provide evidence the restrictions won’t endanger the electric grid.

The rules set limits on carbon output and differ from an Obama-era rule that instead relied on state-based targets, according to Politico. All coal plants in the U.S. are subject to the regulation, and any plants still around by 2040 would have to curb emissions nearly 90% or enable carbon-capture technology, according to the analysis.

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The letter said most of the affected area falls under the PJM, which coordinates the grid among many Atlantic coast states via 88,000 miles of transmission lines.

The lawmakers cited increases in electricity usage due to artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and manufacturing projects, predicting the growth demand for power will soon double.

"The forced closure of existing electric generation, coupled with a rushed transition to renewable energy sources without having the solutions in place to guarantee a reliable stream of uninterrupted power onto a grid already suffering from an interconnection backlog, will lead to both the rationing of electric power and an increase in electric costs for consumers," the lawmakers warned.

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"We strongly urge you to reconsider these rules given their catastrophic impact on the PJM Interconnection service area."

One Democratic lawmaker also criticized the new EPA plans in prior comments.

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., suggested EPA regulators’ goal is to "stop the use of fossil fuels to produce reliable energy in the U.S. by forcing the premature closure of coal plants and blocking new natural gas plants."

Manchin’s fellow Mountaineer, Rep. Alex X. Mooney, R-W.Va., signed Smucker’s letter Thursday and attributed the new rules to the president’s "dangerous agenda."

"The liberal extremist Biden administration has made it their mission to put hardworking West Virginia coal miners out of work, which will result in higher energy prices and grid unreliability," Mooney said Friday.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., also joined Smucker’s demand for answers, saying the EPA is implementing a radical list of costly regulations, citing the fact that more than two-thirds of the nation's electricity is a derivative of coal.

Comer said the rules put the U.S. at risk of rolling blackouts and instability at a time when people are already facing elevated energy costs.

"I am proud to join my colleagues in demanding answers from EPA Administrator Michael Regan to ensure Kentuckians and Americans across the country have access to reliable and affordable energy," said Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

The letter calls for Regan to respond by August whether the White House or EPA consulted with PJM, energy groups or other grid operators before enacting the plan.

Among the list of demands, the signatories asked the agency to note whether it also sought other stakeholder feedback from agricultural, manufacturing or technology interests that rely on a safe and substantive electric grid.

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They also asked whether the Biden administration thought rule changes that push the U.S. away from reliable coal and gas might affect its plans for "national electrification of the transportation and home heating sectors."

In exclusive comments later Friday, Smucker elaborated on the purpose of his letter, remarking "energy security is national security."

"We know that the Biden administration’s plan has already been criticized by PJM, who clearly said that ‘demand cannot be met simply through renewables.’ Yet, the administration is moving ahead with these overreaching regulations," he said.

Reached for comment, a spokeswoman for PJM provided Fox News Digital with a previous press release that commented on the importance of EPA rulemaking taking into account reliability needs of relevant electric grids.

The EPA acknowledged but ultimately did not respond to a request for comment by press time.