S.C.R. 9
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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor calls upon the United
11 States Environmental Protection Agency to issue greenhouse gas New Source
12 Performance Standards for fossil-fueled electric generating units and provide separate
13 standards for coal-fueled steam electric and natural gas combined-cycle generating
14 units.
15 Highlighted Provisions:
16 This resolution:
17 . calls upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency to issue greenhouse
18 gas New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for fossil-fueled electric generating
19 units; and
20 . calls upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency to provide separate
21 standards for coal-fueled steam electric and natural gas combined-cycle generating
22 units that can be achieved with commercially demonstrated technologies and that
23 will permit the economic utilization of all types of domestic coals.
24 Special Clauses:
25 None
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27 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
28 WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed
29 regulations for New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for carbon dioxide (CO2)
30 emissions from new coal-fueled and natural gas-fueled electric generating units;
31 WHEREAS, the proposed NSPS would impose a single emission rate standard of 1,000
32 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour on both coal and natural gas combined-cycle power plants,
33 requiring new coal units to employ carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology;
34 WHEREAS, President Obama's Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage
35 has determined that CCS technologies are not ready for widespread implementation primarily
36 because they have not been demonstrated at the scale necessary to establish confidence for
37 power plant application;
38 WHEREAS, the EPA has found that the application of CCS technology to new
39 coal-fueled power plants would increase the cost of electricity produced by such plants by 80%,
40 effectively precluding the construction of new, highly efficient coal generating units;
41 WHEREAS, previous EPA NSPS for fossil-fueled generating units have established
42 separate emission standards for coal-fueled or steam electric and natural gas combined-cycle
43 units, recognizing the inherent differences in these fuels and electric generation technologies;
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45 WHEREAS, an "all the above" national energy policy should encourage, not impede,
46 access to all available domestic sources of energy:
47 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
48 Governor concurring therein, calls upon the United States Environmental Protection Agency to
49 issue greenhouse gas New Source Performance Standards for fossil-fueled electric generating
50 units.
51 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor call upon the
52 United States Environmental Protection Agency to provide separate standards for coal-fueled
53 steam electric and natural gas combined-cycle generating units that can be achieved with
54 commercially demonstrated technologies and that will permit the economic utilization of all
55 types of domestic coals.
56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the United
57 States Environmental Protection Agency, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and
58 the members of Utah's congressional delegation.
Legislative Review Note
as of 2-12-14 11:42 AM