Contact: Laurel Patrick (608) 267-7303
Madison – Today, Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin Chairperson Ellen Nowak will provide testimony on The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Clean Power Plan” at a hearing to the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works committee in Washington, DC.
Chairperson Nowak is the only utility regulator asked to testify by the majority. Her testimony highlighted the comments submitted to the EPA Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission and the Department of Natural Resources on behalf of the state. The state of Wisconsin, through the PSC and DNR, along with more than 2 million other individuals and entities throughout the nation provided comments on the controversial carbon dioxide curbing plan.
“Chairperson Nowak’s unique insight and expertise will provide Wisconsin’s perspective on what this proposal can and will do to states if implemented as written, and she has made it abundantly clear in the past that this unfunded mandate that may be thrust upon the people of Wisconsin will not go unchallenged,” said Governor Scott Walker. “It is a tremendous feat to have a voice from Wisconsin representing state’s rights at this federal hearing and we know that she will bring a number of inconsistencies on the proposed plan to light.”
Staff at the PSC and DNR put hundreds of hours of modeling together showcasing that this plan would cost the people of Wisconsin billions of dollars in order to comply and provides no true balance to the public or health safety of our residents.
“I look forward to sharing Wisconsin’s concerns about this proposal,” said Public Service Commission Chairperson Ellen Nowak. “We all agree on the need to protect our environment, but the proposed rule does not strike the balance needed to protect public health, reliability of the grid and economic security.”
The draft “Clean Power Plan” proposes a number of changes to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act in order to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent nationwide by the year 2030. A number of commenters have highlighted that the plan implements a timeline that cannot be met and does not give states like Wisconsin credit for early action in terms of carbon dioxide reduction.
Chairperson Nowak was appointed to the Public Service Commission in July of 2011 and was recently named to the position of Chair. The hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will begin at 9:00 AM CST.
