SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 448
1. WHEREAS, the state of Missouri; the residents of its cities, towns, and communities; and electric power providers all have a shared interest in improving air quality and assuring compliance with our nation's air quality goals; and
WHEREAS, electric power providers have significantly reduced air emissions, but additional reductions will help address these air quality goals; and
WHEREAS, the Clean Air Act provides for continued reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (Nox) and mercury from electric power facilities with numerous regulatory decisions mandated over the next two decades that will have unpredictable outcomes; and
WHEREAS, implementation of the Clean Air Act's multiple, overlapping requirements could be streamlined to facilitate greater, more efficient, and more certain emission reductions that would reduce litigation that often causes significant delays in achieving air quality goals; and
WHEREAS, a new federal emission reduction program could help to resolve regional and national air quality challenges, interstate environmental conflicts, and reduce inconsistencies between state programs; and
WHEREAS, the implications of any emission reduction programs on consumer energy prices and electric power reliability must be factored into policy decisions; and
WHEREAS, the quality of life in Missouri depends on a reliable supply of electric power; and
WHEREAS, Missouri's economic vitality is linked to the availability of affordable supplies of electric power; and
WHEREAS, the amount of time necessary for emission reduction-related litigation often reduces the amount of time available for the installation of emission-reduction technologies and increases of the costs of compliance, which eventually are passed on to consumers of electric power; and
WHEREAS, an opportunity (in the form of the Clear Skies Act) exists to adopt a federal, integrated strategy that establishes aggressive, but reasonable, time frames and reduction targets for the nation's three highest priority electric power plant emissions – nitrogen oxides (Nox), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and mercury; and
WHEREAS, such a multi-emission strategy will minimize interstate regulatory compliance conflicts, lessen the need for costly, time-consuming litigation, allow for the design and deployment of more cost-effective technologies, and continue the nation's progress for reducing potentially harmful emissions in as cost-effective manner as possible without negatively impacting the reliability of the nation's electric power supplies:
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the Missouri Senate, Ninety-Third General Assembly, First Regular Session, urge the United States Congress to adopt forthwith multi-emission legislation that will provide reduction targets for (Nox), (SO2), and mercury at reasonable and appropriate levels and over periods of time that will provide certainty, stability, and flexibility to electric power generators in meeting their air quality targets while maintaining electric power reliability, availability, and affordability; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that reductions under such a program should be achieved using an emissions cap-and-trade approach patterned after the successful Clean Air Act acid rain program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ongoing development of combined heat and power units be encouraged by exempting energy efficient and low-emitting units from multi-emission legislation and allowing them to opt in to the program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such a program should streamline Clean Air Act provisions given that (SO2), (Nox), and mercury emissions caps will substantially reduce the amount of emissions from electric power facilities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that to the maximum extent possible, enforcement of such a program should be delegated to the states; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support the Clear Skies Act provided that the final version does not contain a historical cap on carbon dioxide emissions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Missouri Senate be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation, and the Governor of Missouri.