South Dakota Senator John Thune has joined Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in co sponsoring legislation to block EPA’s proposed power plant carbon emissions rule. South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott Vanderwal agrees with the Senators that EPA needs to withdraw that rule. He says it’ll raise costs for everyone while bringing little benefits.
EPA projects that natural gas prices will increase by 11 percent on account of this new regulation and that will likely translate into higher costs for fertilizer and manufacturing in South Dakota. Vanderwal says that’s burdensome and costly for he and his fellow farmers.
Vanderwal agrees with Senator Thune that EPA’s proposed rule will result in significant electricity rate increases and additional energy costs for consumers and will hit low income households which will have to pay for the brunt of those increases.