April 25th, 2024 — Wyoming delegates are responding to a list of new rules published by the Environmental Protection Agency today. The new rules set more restrictive emissions limits for coal and gas-fired power plants.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray condemned the final rules as disastrous for Wyoming’s small businesses and detrimental to Wyoming’s economy as a whole.

“The EPA’s new rules are a deliberate attack on Wyoming’s fossil fuel economy and the small businesses dependent on Wyoming coal and natural gas,” Secretary Gray said in a statement. “As a member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, I fought to protect Wyoming coal through legislation aimed at preserving Wyoming’s coal producing facilities. As Secretary of State, I feel it is my duty to protect both our core industries and the businesses our office serves, who will face the wrath from these continued attacks on our Wyoming values by these onerous and unlawful federal regulations. In the strongest possible terms, I condemn the EPA’s final rules and the weaponization of the federal government against our state and our small businesses in the name of the radical climate cult agenda.”

US Senator Cynthia Lummis also voiced her disappointment.

“President Biden’s Green New Deal inspired rules appear designed to force the closure of Wyoming power plants with no plan to replace the energy currently being produced,” said Lummis. “This attack on Wyoming energy undermines our way of life by jeopardizing jobs and revenue for our state and local governments. Forcing the closure of gas and coal-fired plants that account for 60% of electricity generated across the country, while increasing demand by 30% through an electric vehicle mandate is not only unrealistic but dangerous. I will be working with my colleagues to overturn this disastrous set of regulations and protect Wyoming energy workers who power this country.”

Governor Gordon said that the EPA has “weaponized the fear of climate change.”

“It is clear the only goal envisioned by these rules released by the Environmental Protection Agency today is the end of coal communities in Wyoming. EPA has weaponized the fear of climate change into a crushing set of rules that will result in an unreliable electric grid, unaffordable electricity, and thousands of lost jobs. This Administration has turned its back on the very industries and states that have made our country strong.”