Indiana Gov. Mike Pence says his state won't comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's effort to curb carbon dioxide from power plants—unless the administration dramatically overhauls its regulation.
Mike Pence sent a letter to the President Obama on Wednesday with that warning, saying that unless proposed EPA regulations for power plants are significantly "improved" before the agency finalizes them, Indiana will buck the rule.
That declaration arrives on the heels of a major push from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging governors not to comply with the regulations, which stand at the heart of Obama's effort to tackle global warming and shore up a legacy on the environment before he leaves office.
In his letter to the White House, Pence did not explicitly outline what changes he hopes to see from EPA, but claimed that the regulation "fails to strike the proper balance between the health of the environment and the health of the economy," and warned that it will drive up the cost of electricity.
"As Governor of Indiana, I am deeply concerned about the impacts of the Clean Power Plan on our state, especially our job creators, the poor, and the elderly who cannot afford more expensive, less reliable energy. I reject the Clean Power Plan and inform you that absent demonstrable and significant improvement in the final rule, Indiana will not comply," Pence wrote, adding that Indiana will "reserve the right to use any legal means available to block the rule from being implemented."
