Smith tours plant and meets with power providers, discusses recent action to stop bad regulations

Marston, Missouri -  On Friday, Congressman Jason Smith was in Marston to tour the New Madrid Power Plant and discuss his work to relieve the regulatory burden on energy providers in Missouri.
 
Before touring the New Madrid Power Plant, Congressman Smith sat down with the hard-working people who keep the plant running and talked about recent actions by President Trump to eliminate Obama’s so-called “Clean Power Plan.” This was a major regulatory issue that would have increased production costs for the plant.
 
“The so called ‘Clean Power Plan’ is just the latest in a long list of regulations that show how unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats do not understand southeast and south central Missouri,” said Congressman Smith. “After President Trump was elected, his team asked me to help identify regulations hurting rural America, and I immediately thought of the folks back home who told me that their utility bills were going to triple in cost after the Obama Administration and the EPA rolled out this ridiculous rule.”
 
Recently, major components of the Clean Power Plan, a high-cost regulation U.S. Rep. Smith asked the Trump Administration to take quick action on, were suspended and rescinded. In December of 2016, Rep. Smith met with and sent a letter to the incoming administration asking them to eliminate 14 federal rules and regulations, one of which was the Clean Power Plan. Smith’s work with the Administration will save jobs and money for Missourians.
 
If implemented, this rule would have increased the cost of electricity and made it unaffordable for many residents in the state. Rescinding the Clean Power Plan stops the Obama Administration’s costly rules for energy production, helps prevent skyrocketing utility rates, ensures coal plants stay open and keeps jobs in Missouri.
 
“Missouri residents get 83% of their energy from coal-fired power plants,” said Congressman Smith. “Eliminating Obama’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ means folks at the New Madrid plant can continue their work without the burden of government regulations and provide clean, affordable power to farmers, small businesses and families in Missouri.”
 
Missouri coal is some of the cleanest in the world. Before Obama’s “Clean Power Plan” existed, operations like New Madrid invested billions of dollars to keep their coal-fired power plants clean. The New Madrid Power Plant is part of Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. and employs 180 people.