S.C.R. 9

             1     

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONCERNING PROPOSED

             2     
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION STANDARDS

             3     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

             6     
House Sponsor: Michael E. Noel

             7     
             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
             26     
             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;
             44      and
             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


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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