HARMAN OPPOSES EFFORT TO PRE-EMPT CALIFORNIA’S ENERGY POLICY INDEPENDENCE

South Bay lawmaker to offer amendment stripping offending provision from energy legislation

Washington, D.C. At a hearing today of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy & Air Quality, Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice) announced her strong opposition to a section of draft energy legislation authored by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Committee Chair John Dingell (D-MI) that would preempt the ability of states to set greenhouse gas emissions standards at levels stronger than those set by the federal government.  The bill would also legislatively overrule the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. EPA, which recognized EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

“States are the laboratories of democracy and California has been this nation’s principal laboratory for bold climate change policy.  A provision in the 1970 Clean Air Act has allowed California to develop innovative and ambitious solutions that far outstrip federal responses to the problem.  The legislation offered today would revoke California’s special authority, and all but wipe out the progress we and other states have made in recent years,” Harman said. “I oppose any legislation that includes such a provision and will introduce an amendment to strike this provision from the Committee bill.”

A bipartisan group of Governors across the country oppose federal efforts to preempt states’ ability to set energy standards.  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and seven other governors wrote yesterday that “states are at the forefront of the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our nation’s dependency on carbon-based fuels. . . . Congress must preserve states’ ability to fight greenhouse gas emissions now.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Harman.  “It will take a partnership between federal and state governments to implement bold change.  This preemption provision destroys that partnership.”

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