Sept. 23 - Scott Segal, director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, offered the following remarks on the passage of the TRAIN Act (HR 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act) by a vote of 249 to 169 this afternoon.  The measure, introduced by Congressmen John Sullivan (R-OK) and Jim Matheson (D-UT), calls for EPA to conduct a cumulative economic analysis of the rules the Agency is proposing directed at the power sector.
 
“The passage of the TRAIN Act by a wide margin marks a victory for protection of public health and the economy.  The failure of the EPA to consider cumulative economic impacts of its rules as well as to allow sufficient time for implementation and appropriate standard setting represents a clear threat to millions of manufacturing and energy jobs.  Recent studies from NERA and the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University reiterate this point.
 
The EPA rules create a real risk of undermining electric reliability with the potential for blackouts and supply disruption.  The Agency has failed to do conduct adequate analysis and has produced work product riddled with methodological, legal and policy flaws.
 
The TRAIN Act is good for public health as well.  As medical doctors and others have indicated (read 9/22/11 House Doctors Letter to EPA Lisa Jackson - PDF), the rules do not provide any incremental health benefits.  However, the high cost of the EPA rules undermines public health by increasing the cost of health care, increasing unemployment and misallocating scarce public health resources.
 
In short, today’s vote is a win-win for jobs and public health.”
 
Read SMU/Maguire study.
 
 
Scott H. Segal
Director, Electric Reliability Coordinating Council

092211 House Doctors Letter to EPA Lisa Jackson re Utility MACT.pdf