Clear Indication Administration Fundamentally Against “All-of-the-Above” Energy Strategy
Washington, D.C. – The Business Council of Alabama (BCA) President and CEO William J. Canary and National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued the following statements in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed standard for existing power plants:
BCA President and CEO William J. Canary:
“This Administration has set its sights on the coal industry and the jobs it creates. It couldn’t get Congress to go along with this job-killing plan, so now the EPA has chosen to skirt Congress and act through regulation. Here in Alabama, we’ll all be paying much, much more for electricity.
“The Business Council of Alabama advocates basing environmental regulation on sound scientific study and providing safeguards to the environment without hindering economic development or imposing undue regulations on the business community. Clean energy should include an ‘all of the above’ plan so that the most affordable and reliable clean energy solutions can be deployed in Alabama and the rest of the country.”
NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons:
“As users of one-third of the energy produced in the United States, manufacturers rely on secure and affordable energy to compete in a tough global economy, and recent gains are largely due to the abundance of energy we now enjoy. Today’s proposal from the EPA could singlehandedly eliminate this competitive advantage by removing reliable and abundant sources of energy from our nation’s energy mix.
Manufacturers believe there is a better way. We need a more balanced approach, one that allows our nation’s manufacturers to do what they do best: find solutions and innovate. With the right policies that give us access to affordable and reliable energy, manufacturers in the United States will continue to develop sustainable solutions that power our economy, drive growth and, most importantly, create jobs here at home.”
The Business Council of Alabama is Alabama’s foremost voice for business. The BCA is a non-partisan statewide business association representing the interests and concerns of nearly one million working Alabamians through its member companies and its partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama. BCA is Alabama’s exclusive affiliate to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.08 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for two-thirds of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2014
Contact: Jamie Hennigan (NAM) 202.637.3090 / Nancy Wall Hewston (BCA) 334.834.6000