Attorney General Becerra Condemns Trump Administration's Proposed Plan to Dismantle the Clean Power Plan

California Joins Part of Multistate Coalition Set to Challenge Replacement Rule if Adopted

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today condemned the Trump Administration’s proposal to dismantle the Clean Power Plan (CPP), the first-ever national limits on climate change emissions from existing fossil-fuel power plants:

"Every part of America and the world is going through traumatic changes in climate activity, with devastating consequences in too many cases,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Meanwhile, President Trump cavalierly refuses to effectively manage pollution from fossil fuel-burning power plants. Our families deserve clean air to breathe. And our children deserve to know that we did everything possible to address the most pressing environmental issue of our time. We strongly oppose the Trump Administration's backsliding in the fight to preserve our children's future and our planet."

The Clean Power Plan is the culmination of a decade-long effort by partnering states and cities to require mandatory cuts in the emissions of climate change pollution from fossil fuel-burning power plants under the Clean Air Act. The Clean Power Plan, along with the companion rule applicable to new, modified, and reconstructed power plants, would control these emissions by setting limits on the amount of climate change pollution that power plants can emit. The Clean Power Plan would eliminate as much climate change pollution as is emitted by more than 160 million cars a year – or 70 percent of the nation’s passenger cars.

Attorney General Becerra will continue to vigorously defend the Clean Power Plan. Recent actions include:

• On March 28, 2017, Attorney General Becerra issued a statement preparing to defend America’s Clean Power Plan.
• On January 9, 2018, Attorney General Becerra, leading a coalition of 19 states and municipalities, submitted a 30-page comment letter to the US EPA on due process violations, lack of fairness, and ethical lapses that arise from Administrator Scott Pruitt’s involvement in the proposed rulemaking to repeal the Clean Power Plan.
• On February 27, 2018, Attorney General Becerra’s office defended Clean Power Plan in an EPA listening session in San Francisco.
• On April 26, 2018, the Attorney General, leading a coalition of 16 Attorneys General and municipalities, submitted a supplemental comment letter to the EPA with additional evidence of due process violations, lack of fairness, and ethical lapses stemming from Administrator Scott Pruitt’s involvement in the EPA’s efforts to repeal Clean Power Plan.