It sets emissions reduction goals for each state and lets the states craft individual plans to comply.

New federal rules designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants have coal advocates speaking out. Gov. Pat McCrory has said his administration plans to challenge the final rule in court, contending that it will raise electricity rates for consumers.

The Secretary-General appreciates President Obama’s strong, personal leadership on climate change, ” he added.

In a statement issued on Monday in response to US President Barack Obama’s new clean energy plan, the minister called upon some of the developed countries that are producing the most greenhouse gases to lead efforts against climate change.

In poll after poll after poll, small business owners, executives and others express widespread support for the just-announced Clean Power Plan, which will reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants while increasing clean energy and energy efficiency – and the jobs that come with it.

“The final plan will shutter 66 power plants and eliminate 125,800 jobs in the coal industry”, according to Sam Batkins, director of regulatory policy at the right-leaning American Action Forum. “If we don’t do it, nobody will. The only reason that China is now looking at getting serious about its emissions is because they saw that we were going to do it, too”, he said. The Clean Power Plan aims to put standards in place that will in the long run help reduce Carbon dioxide emissions by 32 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. You can easily see how each state is making energy choices that are geographically specific, but also where the opportunities are still to be found. Solar plants now only supply eight percent of the country’s power, but it’s the fastest-growing renewable energy industry. Critics also claim that the plan will bring an unwelcome increase in electricity prices. But at the time, Beshear stressed that Conway wasn’t acting for him in that lawsuit, and the Energy and Environment Cabinet began work on a state compliance plan.

The Clean Power Plan accelerates the transition to a clean energy future, which is happening even faster than expected-which means carbon and air pollution are already decreasing, improving public health year by year.

One of the arguments against the new plan: Our nation can’t fix the problem on its own.