Oklahoma Gas & Electric's Muskogee Power Plant.

Logan Layden / StateImpact Oklahoma

Oklahoma Attorney General Sues EPA (Again) Over Obama’s Clean Power Plan

  • Logan Layden
Oklahoma Gas & Electric's Muskogee Power Plant was part of more than $80 million in renovations done at OG&E coal plants between 2003-2006.

Logan Layden / StateImpact Oklahoma

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt filed another suit against the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday. This time he’s going after the federal Clean Power Plan to cut carbon emissions at coal plants, as BloombergBusiness’ Andrew M. Harris reports:

The lawsuit comes two days after the U.S. Supreme Court faulted the EPA for failing to consider costs and benefits before deciding to impose limits on emissions from coal-burning generators.

Oklahoma seeks a court order declaring the EPA measure exceeds its powers under the federal Clean Air Act and an injunction blocking the new regulations for coal-fired plants.
In a statement, Pruitt calls the EPA’s plan to cut carbon emissions by more than 30 percent by 2030 “an unlawful attempt to expand federal bureaucrats’ authority over states’ energy economies in order to shutter coal-fired power plants.” And he says the plan would threaten the reliability and affordability of power in Oklahoma.
This is actually the second time Pruitt has sued the EPA over the Clean Power Plan, which hasn’t even been finalized yet. He’s had some success in his many suits against the agency, like on June 30th, when the U.S. Supreme Court delayed enforcement of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.