The members of the massive group suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its Clean Power Plan include some of the largest emitters in the nation, according to a report issued Friday by the Center for American Progress. The organization tallied the top 100 carbon emitters and then compared them to the list of petitioners suing EPA for its carbon rules, pulling out emitters that either sued on their own or belong to an organization suing.
“In one year, the power producers affiliated with the lawsuit polluted as much carbon dioxide as 129 countries combined. This means that if the power producers were their own country, they would be the 6th biggest CO2 emitter in the world,” according to the report.
The Clean Power Plan sets carbon emissions standards for existing coal-fired power plants and requires states to develop action plans to meet federally set emissions reduction goals. Implementation of the rule is currently on hold due to a stay granted by the Supreme Court in the ongoing federal legal battle.
A total of 27 states and more than 100 utilities, trade organizations, and interest groups filed suit against the Clean Power Plan in October. The suit is due to be heard by the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in September.
