Trump can’t revive fossil fuel industry, EPA chief taunts: ‘Train has left the station’

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Even if he tries to resuscitate a sagging coal industry and ramp up oil and gas drilling across the country, President-elect Donald Trump will be unable to reverse the nation’s move toward clean energy, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said Monday.

In one of her final speeches before leaving office in January, the EPA chief — a controversial figure who has presided over an unprecedented crackdown on coal-fired power plants — said she’s confident much of the agency’s work will stand the test of time. While Mr. Trump has vowed to reverse the some EPA regulations and put coal miners back to work, Ms. McCarthy said those efforts largely will be unsuccessful due to broader market forces.

She said the agency’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), which greatly limits emissions from coal plants, has been just one reason why the U.S. is getting more of its power from renewable sources.

“Folks, clearly there is more going on in our world and our energy sector that the Clean Power Plan can account for. … This is all about the energy transition that’s already happening,” she told an audience in Washington. “The clean-energy economy, folks, that train has left the station.”

The CPP remains caught up in court following a Supreme Court decision earlier this year, though many states already are taking steps to meet the rule’s strict new limits on carbon emissions. The regulations set emissions thresholds and require states to develop plans to meet them.

Throughout his campaign, Mr. Trump said he’d put the nation’s coal miners back to work and will make it easier for the nation to tap into its fossil fuel reserves. More broadly, the incoming president intends to withdraw the U.S. from a global climate-change deal requiring a 26 percent cut in emissions by 2030. The CPP and other EPA regulations are key to meeting those targets.

Pressed on whether she’s concerned about the Trump administration undoing her years of work, Ms. McCarthy largely ducked the question.

“We’re going to have to wait and see,” she said. “My job right now is to do a smooth transition.”

Ms. McCarthy said the EPA has yet to have any contact whatsoever with the Trump transition team.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/21/epa-chief-trump-cant-revive-fossil-fuel-industry/
The standards are such that it would be virtually impossible to build any new coal-fired power plants.

And she says her job right now is overseeing a 'smooth transition' by taunting an incoming President?

Guess she is vying to be the very first bureaucrat to be fired.  And that train has definitely already left the station.

[skeeter]

Of course all of Obama's stooges would like to think the 'train has left the station' on their ridiculously non realistic progressive policies. But it ain't so.

[INVAR]

Re: Trump can’t revive fossil fuel industry, EPA chief taunts: ‘Train has left the station’

Horseshiite bitch.

One of the things Trump can do, if he has balls enough to do so - is rescind and abolish every single policy, action and program the EPA has crafted and instituted that has not been passed via legislation in Congress.

Trump has the power to do that and would not be in any violation of separation of powers.

Let's see if he will actually do so - or continue playing the shell game.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Horseshiite bitch.

One of the things Trump can do, if he has balls enough to do so - is rescind and abolish every single policy, action and program the EPA has crafted and instituted that has not been passed via legislation in Congress.

Trump has the power to do that and would not be in any violation of separation of powers.

Let's see if he will actually do so - or continue playing the shell game.

The EPA was created by Executive fiat in the first place and only later was buttressed by Congressional action.

Sure he can, but I agree 'will he'?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Of course all of Obama's stooges would like to think the 'train has left the station' on their ridiculously non realistic progressive policies. But it ain't so.

There are too many jobs that will come about in revitalizing coal, oil and gas, Keystone pipeline, the list goes on.

The only ones that will suffer are those who have been riding the backs of taxpayers like ADM, solar and wind companies.

The revenue stream coming from workers's payroll taxes instead of outflows of welfare and renewable credits will be impressive.

[HonestJohn]

The laws of supply and demand have killed the coal industry, not the EPA.


With China rapidly building nuclear power plants, their need for coal is diminishing rapidly, further reducing world demand.  And despite that, natural gas is still cheaper than coal.

The only fossil fuel industry he could 'save' is our oil and natural gas one.  And that one is already doing just fine.

[roamer_1]

There are too many jobs that will come about in revitalizing coal, oil and gas, Keystone pipeline, the list goes on.

That would be true, except energy is already extremely cheap comparatively... Largely due to oil cartels slashing ates in order to crush American oil industry production coming out of the Bakken and Canadian production coming out of shale oil....

It might impact the cost of electricity, though natural gas also being very low in cost right now, might make natural gas fired plants competitive with ol king coal.

I would see revived coal being incredibly important economies local to coal production, and a boon to employment there, but the larger economic problems are not very likely impacted.

It would be a good thing, no doubt... just sayin.

[Frank Cannon]

Train left the station? It may have left the station and then off the cliff. All the Solyndra type companies are failing. People are still using oil and gas to run cars and heat homes. All the green cars like the Volt and Tesla were total failures. Elon Musk is flirting with a jail sentance from selling everyone a bill of goods. The green train is certainly not heading in a good place.

[Night Hides Not]

Train left the station? It may have left the station and then off the cliff. All the Solyndra type companies are failing. People are still using oil and gas to run cars and heat homes. All the green cars like the Volt and Tesla were total failures. Elon Musk is flirting with a jail sentance from selling everyone a bill of goods. The green train is certainly not heading in a good place.

...and a new oilfield has been discovered in the Permian Basin. Snowflakes are going to look like "Texas Snowmen" if this keeps up...

[thackney]

The EPA was created by Executive fiat in the first place and only later was buttressed by Congressional action.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321–4347) was enacted on January 1, 1970.  NEPA contains three sections: the first section outlines national environmental policies and goals; the second establishes provisions for federal agencies to enforce such policies and goals; and the third establishes the  Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the Executive Office of the President.

Reorganization Plan No. 3 (35 FR 15623, 84 Stat. 2086) was an executive order submitted to the United States Congress on July 9, 1970 by President Richard Nixon establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and setting forth the components of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Her argument fundamentally misperceives the argument against what she has done.

Republicans aren't against clean energy.  To the extent it makes economic sense and can survive on its own, without subsidies, we're more than happy for it to take root and expand.  What we oppose are artificial barriers to the use of fossil fuels, and green energy subsidies.  If we remove those barriers, eliminate those subsidies, and green energy still expands...wonderful!

[Suppressed]

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 4321–4347) was enacted on January 1, 1970.  NEPA contains three sections: the first section outlines national environmental policies and goals; the second establishes provisions for federal agencies to enforce such policies and goals; and the third establishes the  Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in the Executive Office of the President.

Reorganization Plan No. 3 (35 FR 15623, 84 Stat. 2086) was an executive order submitted to the United States Congress on July 9, 1970 by President Richard Nixon establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and setting forth the components of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Thank you for posting that correction.  I started a reply myself, but was on my phone and it was too onerous.   ^-^

[HonestJohn]

Train left the station? It may have left the station and then off the cliff. All the Solyndra type companies are failing. People are still using oil and gas to run cars and heat homes. All the green cars like the Volt and Tesla were total failures. Elon Musk is flirting with a jail sentance from selling everyone a bill of goods. The green train is certainly not heading in a good place.

Tesla is doing quite well and has released more models.  It's also branched out into home solar with a home battery pack.