U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak during a USA Thank You Tour event at Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S., December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (Reuters) - Officials in 24 states have urged U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to kill the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s strategy to combat climate change and shut down coal-fired power plants. The coalition requested the incoming Republican government undo the Clean Power Plan enacted by the current Democratic administration. The law was designed to lower carbon emissions mainly from coal-fired power plants by 2030 to 32 percent below 2005 levels. The Supreme Court has ordered a delay in implementation until legal challenges to the regulation are completed. The group, headed by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, suggests Congress take action to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from drafting similar regulations in the future. “The order (to withdraw the plan) should explain that it is the administration’s view that the (Clean Power Plan) is unlawful and that EPA lacks authority to enforce it. The executive order is necessary to send an immediate and strong message to States and regulated entities that the administration will not enforce the rule,” according to Morrisey. Trump’s potential Cabinet is filling with nominees from top fossil fuel-producing states. He tapped Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, an ardent opponent of Obama’s measures to curb climate change, to run the Environmental Protection Agency and Rick Perry, a climate skeptic and former governor of Texas, to head the Department of Energy. Trump has promised to revive oil and gas drilling and coal mining by cutting back on federal regulations. He also has said he would pull the United States out of a global deal to curb emissions of carbon dioxide, which an overwhelming number of scientists say contribute to changes to the climate that are leading to sea level rise, droughts and more frequent violent storms. Reporting by Vijaykumar Vedala in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
A coalition of officials in 24 US states have urged President-elect Trump to undo Obama’s Clean Power Plan, intended to lower carbon emissions by 2030 to 32% below 2005 levels. The group is headed by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who suggest Congress takes action to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from drafting similar laws in the future. Trump has already promised to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and to revive oil and gas drilling and coal mining by slashing federal regulations.