On Wednesday, Rep. Burlison chaired the new Congress’s first hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs. Burlison — a Republican from Springfield — used the platform to take issue with a 2024 power plant rule by the Environmental Protection Agency.
"The Biden EPA power plant rule will — if left in place — force premature retirement of existing power plants across the country without providing a clear path forward for bringing new power generation online," Burlison said.
The rule takes full effect in 2032. The Biden administration promoted it by saying the rule would cut 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution through 2047, helping address climate change.
But the power plant rule is currently tied up in a federal court case, and many observers expect President Donald Trump’s EPA to get rid of the rule as part of its cuts to government regulations.
Burlison supports legislation and policies that he says would ensure a reliable electric grid: “Recent executive actions seek to expand oil and gas production, reverse previous limitations and unleash our energy independence," he said at Wednesday's hearing.
A bill Burlison filed last year would pause EPA restrictions on power plant pollution, unless the electric grid is considered free of elevated or high risk of disruptions and outages.
