The North Dakota Public Service Commission is officially weighing in on the EPA’s proposed rules to cut carbon emissions.
The rule says the US needs to reduce carbon emissions 30 percent by the year 2030. North Dakota would be required to reduce emissions 11 percent.
Commission chairman Brian Kalk says the PSC response comes down to three major topics.
“the developing of energy generation is clearly a states' rights issue," said Kalk. "Also, this plan proposed by the EPA has never been tested, as far as modeling for reliability. And the third big thing is -- the cost is astronomical.”
Kalk also says the PSC is urging the state Health Department to refuse to issue a “state implementation plan” to deal with the EPA rules.
“The Health department has the role in developing those plans, and I support thatg," said Kalk. 'But in this case, the EPA is trying to pit agencies against each other. And if North Dakota would file an SIP, you could construe that to say we agree with this plan.”
The comments are due to EPA by December first. EPA has said it’d like to have the plan finished by next summer.
