Senator Schatz's Statement on President Obama's Clean Power Plan

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement on President Obama’s Clean Power Plan:

“Regulating carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act is morally and legally the right thing to do.  Climate change impacts the health and welfare of all Americans.  Severe weather events like droughts and wildfires have increased significantly, and coastal states including Hawai‘i face direct threats from the impact of rising sea levels.  The Clean Power Plan takes direct action to reverse climate change by regulating and reducing harmful carbon pollution from power plants.  The plan establishes ambitious goals, but gives states and regions flexibility on how to meet them.

“By 2030, the plan will result in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels, which will improve the health of American citizens, create thousands of jobs, encourage the development of clean energy, and reduce the cost of energy bills. Earlier this year, more than half the Senate acknowledged, ‘Climate change is real and human activity significantly contributes to climate change.’  President Obama’s Clean Power Plan is a milestone in the fight against climate change, and I pledge my full support in his effort to implement it.” 

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