ACTION SHEET, JULY 2014
MONTHLY CONFERENCE CALL, SATURDAY, JULY 12 2014
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Meet at 9:45am PT/12:45pm ET
Call in at 9:55 am PT/12:55 pm ET
National conference call starts at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET
WEBINAR hosted by AnyMeeting. Participants should have received invite by email
Back-up audio: (if AnyMeeting audio fails) Dial-in Number: (712) 432-1500 Code: 988062#
LONG TERM GOAL-SETTING
Discussion: Clean Power Plan Goals for Advocates
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Strengthen the overall EPA targets in the final rule (due June 2015) especially to reflect the full
potential of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and then
Persuade state policy makers to rely predominantly on those two tools in their state plans.
NATIONAL ACTION MENU
This month is an especially All-You-Can-Eat opportunity! Do as much as you can!
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Now that the new standards are released, use the op-ed or LTE templates below to respond
to articles about the EPA’s Clean Power Plan
Send a letter to your governor in support of the standards (template below)
Visit this web address to submit your comments to the EPA (due by Aug 30, 2014)
(template below): http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/forms/commentclean-power-plan-proposed-rule. There other sample EPA messages on the “Current
Actions” tab of our website— follow links to NRDC, EDF, MoveOn, Credo, etc.
Practice this month’s Laser Talk (below) “What’s the Real Deal with the Clean Power Plan?”
Schedule a meeting with editorial staff or reporters to talk about the Clean Power Plan. We
have a Powerpoint you can use to take with you. Take the editorial briefing (below) and the
following (all are on the www.climateadvocates.net/resources page) as leave-behind
material:
o NRDC’s National fact sheet
o NRDC’s State Fact sheet (for your state)
o NRDC’s Summary of the Clean Power Plan
o EPA’s “By the Numbers” fact sheet
Remember this
Why I Act On Climate
I believe I can have a major impact on the fate of our planet if I work tirelessly toward
climate solutions, think big, and act fearlessly.
I believe that bold actions by a few brave people can change the course of history and
stabilize the Earth’s climate. I believe I am one of those people.
Doing this will not be easy or comfortable, but it is definitely possible. And since it is
possible, I must try.
I will not give up
LASER TALK: WHAT’S THE REAL DEAL WITH THE CLEAN POWER PLAN?
Yes, the Clean Power Plan is historic. We applaud it. But what will it accomplish and why are many saying it’s not
enough?
Emission Reductions
The EPA estimates the proposal will reduce CO2 emissions, nationally, to 30% below 2005 emissions by 2030.
Note: that is equivalent to 17% below 2012 emissions by 2030i ii. Why the difference?
Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA)iii, the official U.S. energy data keeper, shows that total 2013
U.S. CO2 emissions from that sector were 10.4% less than the total in 2005. The main reason for the decline is
cheap natural gas replacing coal; analysis of the same dataset over the same time frame shows coal declined by
20% while gas rose by 39%iv.
This explains why the Plan’s reductions are less when the baseline year is set to 2012. Setting the baseline at 2005
is a headstart for the Clean Power Plan: one third of the reductions have been already achieved.
Whichever baseline you use, the Clean Power Plan’s proposed emission reductions are just a start. The scientific
consensus is that we need to reduce total emissions by 80% or more below 1990 levels to keep CO2 levels below
400-450ppm. That will mean nearly total conversion to a clean energy economy, and massive rapid reductions in
all other sectors of society.
Co-Benefits
In addition to reducing CO2, the Plan will cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more than
25%, avoid up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in children, and up to 490,000 missed
work or school days—providing up to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits; and shrink electricity bills
roughly 8 percentv.
Methods
EPA proposes a different goal for each state, based on its unique mix of emission and power sources. Flexible
options for reaching the goal are given to each state. These fall into 4 categories vi:
‘Inside the fenceline,’ make power plants more efficient
Use low-emitting power sources more
Expand renewable generating capacity
Use electricity more efficiently
Average efficiency improvement of 6% for coal steam
electric
generating units
For example, switch from coal to natural gas
Switch from fossil fuels to renewables
Increase demand-side energy efficiency to 1.5%
annually
The proposed guidelines also allow states to collaborate on multi-state plans to achieve reductions. For example,
California’s cap and trade system could be expanded to include Washington and Oregon.
Costs
EPA estimates that the annual cost of the Plan will be $7.3 – $8.8 billionvii.
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Action Sheet, May 2014
OP ED TEMPLATE
States Can Lead Action Against Global Warming, the Gravest
Environmental Threat of Our Time
This is a critical moment. Carbon pollution encircles our planet. The concentration of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere is now over 400 parts per million. That’s the highest in human history, and it’s still rising, putting our
future in increasing jeopardy.
There are three pieces of good news. First, we have solutions. Second, most Americans know we’re in trouble. We
recognize this is the most dire and dangerous crisis of our time. In fact, a recent poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
shows that seven in 10 Americans favor the Environmental Protection Agency putting limits on carbon pollution
from power plants. Third, the EPA is doing just that.
The EPA is taking aim at the heart of the problem:
On June 2, the EPA proposed new standards for the roughly 1500 electricity-generating power plants which emit
40 percent of our carbon footprint. After a public comment period and adjustments, those standards— called
EPA’s Clean Power Plan— are to be finalized by June 2, 2015.
The proposed standards set an overall pollution reduction target for each state, and ask each state to take the lead
and develop plans for achieving their goal. This approach gives states and utilities the flexibility to design a plan for
meeting the standard in the cheapest most efficient way possible.
As proposed, the Clean Power Plan will deliver significant reductions at a low cost with far greater benefits.
Emissions will decrease 13% below 2012 emissions by 2020 and 17% by 2030 (using 2005 as the baseline, the
reductions are 26% and 30%.) This is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the United
States for one year! Simultaneously the plan will cut particle pollution, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide by more
than 25 percent and thereby avoid up to 6,600 premature deaths, up to 150,000 asthma attacks in children, and up
to 490,000 missed work or school days—providing up to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits. On top of
all that, the plan will shrink the average residential electricity bill by $96 per year. Estimated annual costs are $5-8
billion, far less than the benefits.
The Clean Power Plan is a great start. But the emission reductions it proposes are far less than the 80% or more
that is needed to prevent the most dangerous risks of climate disruption. So, EPA’s proposal can and should
be strengthened. At the least and in particular, states can be asked to do more to increase energy efficiency and
the use of renewables.
We’re at a critical moment. [your state] and Governor [your governor] must seize the bull by the horns and work
with our utilities and regulators to meet the EPA standards in a way that puts [your state] on an irreversible path
towards rapid and steadily declining CO2 emissions. The best policies would maximize conservation, efficiency and
renewables, and use cleaner fossil fuels only as a temporary way to ensure adequate electricity while renewables
ramp up.
The costs of failure will be far higher than the costs of taking these steps ASAP. Certainly, the destruction and
hardship from extreme weather is something many states have seen and felt firsthand. [your governor] must lead
the way in addressing climate change to protect future generations, to protect our children and their children’s
children, and all of creation. (568 words)
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Action Sheet, May 2014
TEMPLATE LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sadly, the fossil fuel industry is choosing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to derail the EPA’s
carbon pollution standards, AKA Clean Power Plan. Their propaganda can only serve to increase harm to
our health, accelerate climate change, and keep America from benefiting by being a leader in the global
clean energy economy.
They tell us we have to continue depending on fossil fuels or it will cost jobs and hurt the economy. But
the truth is different: A strong Clean Power Plan will create 274,000 jobs, yield $37.5 billion in savings on
our electricity bills, yield savings between $28 and $63 billion in avoided climate change impacts and
pollution-related illnesses and deaths, reduce America’s CO2 pollution by 531 million tons, and that the
Plan’s economic benefits will greatly exceed its costs (figures are for 2020.)
Electricity from clean wind energy has tripled and every four minutes another U.S. home or business
goes solar. If we nurture this growth, we will catch up with countries like Germany, with generates as
much as 74% of its power needs from renewables.
[insert state level facts from State Fact Sheets]
The costs of doing nothing are too high. The U.S. can lead the world if “We the people” convince
lawmakers to ignore fossil fuel industry propaganda and resist selling out to their lobbying.
We owe it to ourselves and future generations to not be passive spectators. Let the EPA know you
support stronger limits on CO2 pollution. Shifting to a cleaner, safer, more responsible clean energy
economy is the Apollo goal of our time – if we can make it to the moon, we can save the Earth. (275
words)
TEMPLATE COMMENT TO THE EPA
Thank you for proposing limits on carbon pollution from power-plants. Limiting carbon pollution from
power plants is a crucial step to protect global health and safety. Unfortunately, the proposed Clean
Power Plan falls far short of what is needed, which is obtaining at least 80% of our energy from nonfossil fuel sources by 2050. EPA should call for more ambitious reductions of at least 40% by 2030, and
insure states stick to the schedule by allowing for no extensions on plans for 2020. States should be
encouraged to achieve these goals by increasing efficiency and ramping up renewables.
TEMPLATE LETTER TO YOUR GOVERNOR
Governor [name of your governor],
I’m writing to you about the EPA’s Clean Power Plan to put first-ever limits on CO2 pollution from power
plants. But first, I want to thank you for [appreciate something your governor has done]…
Governor [name of your governor], this is a critical moment. The concentration of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere is now over 400 parts per million. That’s the highest in human history, and it’s still rising, putting our
future in increasing jeopardy.
There are three pieces of good news. First, we have solutions. Second, most Americans know we’re in trouble. We
recognize this is the most dire and dangerous crisis of our time. In fact, a recent poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
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Action Sheet, May 2014
shows that seven in 10 Americans favor the Environmental Protection Agency putting limits on carbon pollution
from power plants. Third, the EPA is doing just that. And this is where you come in.
I believe the most important thing you can do as the leader of [YOUR STATE] is to pilot our ship of state towards a
clean energy future as fast as you can make it go. Ensuring that [YOUR STATE] designs a robust State
Implementation Plan (S.I.P.)in response to the EPA’s Clean Power Plan requirements is a crucial part of that
trajectory.
[YOUR STATE] needs a S.I.P. that closes our dirtiest coal-fired power plants, and makes up the lost electric power
by promoting efficiency, and renewables. While natural gas plants produce CO2 pollution at a lower rate than
coal, they have attendant methane leakage problems that reduce their advantage; in the long run, they still
produce CO2 emissions, and therefore I believe they should be part of a S.I.P. only to the extent that renewables
and efficiency measures cannot provide adequate electricity.
Governor [your governor], please lead the way in addressing climate change to protect future generations, to
protect our children and their children’s children, and all of creation.
BRIEFER FOR EDITORIAL STAFF:
States Can Lead Action Against Global Warming, the Gravest
Environmental Threat of Our Time
This is a critical moment. Carbon pollution encircles our planet. The concentration of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere is now over 400 parts per million. That’s the highest in human history. It puts us in jeopardy.
There are three pieces of good news. First, we have solutions. Second, most Americans know we’re in trouble. We
recognize this is the most dire and dangerous crisis of our time. In fact, a recent poll by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
shows that seven in 10 Americans favor the Environmental Protection Agency putting limits on carbon pollution
from power plants. Third, the EPA is doing just that.
President Obama has Started to Counter the Threat of Climate Change
Last summer, President Obama unveiled a robust National Climate Initiative. It has three key parts: curb the
carbon pollution that drives global warming, expand clean energy and efficiency to reduce our need for fossil fuel
energy, and make our communities more resilient in the face of climate impacts.
His plan takes aim at the heart of the problem: The roughly 1500 electricity-generating power plants in our country
emit 40 percent of our carbon footprint. Their pollution is a key driver of global warming. The President directed
the EPA to set standards limiting carbon pollution from power plants.
On June 2, the EPA proposed new standards for existing power plants. After a public comment period and
adjustments, those standards— part of EPA’s Clean Power Plan— are to be finalized by June, 2015.
Curbing Carbon Pollution: a Partnership Between Utilities and States and EPA
The proposed standards set an overall pollution reduction target for each state, and ask each state to take the lead
and develop plans for achieving their goal. This state-specific approach to cutting carbon pollution gives states and
utilities the flexibility to design their own plan for meeting the standard in the cheapest most efficient way
possible.
The Clean Power Plan will deliver big reductions at a low cost with far greater benefits. For example, we could cut
carbon pollution by 26 percent by 2020 and deliver $15 of benefits for every dollar invested. States can do this
right. Or they can do it wrong.
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Action Sheet, May 2014
Because the CO2 emissions we create today and in the future will stay in the atmosphere for hundreds and
thousands of years, burning cleaner fossil fuels won’t change the eventual outcome if we keep burning them until
their inventory is used up.
Doing it right means seizing the bull by the horns and working with utilities in each state to meet the EPA standards
in a way that puts each state on an irreversible path to a truly clean energy future, beginning with rapid and
steadily declining CO2 emission reductions. They could work to change their energy mix, ramp up energy
efficiency, implement new technology and expand renewable sources of energy. Creating local jobs through such
steps would improve their communities. The best policies would maximize conservation, efficiency and
renewables, and use cleaner fossil fuels as a temporary way to ensure adequate electricity.
Doing it wrong would mean denying the need for sensible carbon pollution standards to begin with, or meeting
them only by switching to natural gas, for example, or sloughing off the responsibility for creating a state plan to
Washington. We all know that getting ahead of the curve is far better than fighting a rear guard action.
So, we’re at another critical moment.
The time is now to start building support in the states for taking action on climate change. The EPA carbon
standards may not be on the radar for many state leaders and thought leaders. But you can help put it there.
Certainly, the destruction and hardship from extreme weather is something many in the states have seen and felt
firsthand. Now we must engage state leaders on addressing climate change. States have an opportunity to do it
their way. They need to do it to choose the most cost-effective path that’s right for them. They need to do it to
protect future generations who will live in their states. They need to do it for our children.
i
http://www.nrdc.org/air/pollution-standards/files/pollution-standards-epa-plan-summary.pdf
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/epa-co2-rules--power-plant-17506
iii
http://www.eia.gov/beta/MER/index.cfm?tbl=T02.06#/?f=A&start=2005&end=2013&charted=2-3-4-6-13. This is
an interactive chart that makes it easy to pull data into a spreadsheet and do your own analysis, which is what I did.
iv
http://climateadvocates.net/wpcontent/uploads/2014/03/Table_2.6_Electric_Power_Sector_Energy_Consumption-2005-2013-EIA.xlsx
v
yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/5bb6d20668b9a18485257ceb00490c98!
OpenDocument
vi
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-05/documents/20140602fs-setting-goals.pdf
vii
www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-06/documents/20140602fs-important-numbers-clean-power-plan.pdf
ii
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Action Sheet, May 2014