BCSE President Jacobson discusses impact of Clean Power Plan stay

Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) President Lisa Jacobson issued a statement on Thursday regarding the potential impact of the Supreme Court stay of the Clean Power Plan for statewide energy management and planning.

“The final Clean Power Plan provides states with flexibility,” Jacobson said. “It allows states to meet their emission reduction targets with a broad portfolio of affordable and reliable technologies, including an array of energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy solutions. The objectives of the Clean Power Plan build on what is already happening in the marketplace, where we are witnessing a clean energy transformation.”

Jacobson also acknowledged the difficulty some states have experienced with the Supreme Court stay shifting timeframes and deadlines. The Clean Power Plan is intended to allow states flexibility to transition into clean energy usage, but doing so in a cost-effective manner may prove difficult for some states.

Jacobson added that the 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook found that consumer choices last year naturally showed a shift in preference for affordable, renewable energy. U.S. carbon emissions from the power sector last year were at their lowest levels since the 1990s. This shift shows that consumers are already shifting towards clean energy usage, and that the Clean Power Plan provides a platform through which local and federal policymakers can work together towards the reduction of carbon emissions.