U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis voted for the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, which repeals the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to mandate unattainable technological standards at any new coal-fired power plants. Lummis said these regulations impose impossible standards, and effectively ban the construction of any new coal fired plants. The bill replaces the EPA's proposal with guidance to mandate only technology that is commercially attainable. The House passed the bill with a bi-partisan majority of 229-183.

The bill also gives the EPA guidance for any future regulations on existing coal-fired power units. Under this bill, the EPA is required to report the cost and other impacts of new technological mandates on current coal power plants to Congress. It would then take a federal law to enact the proposed regulations.

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