On June 2, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to battle carbon emission levels. The EPA called for a plan which would cut carbon emissions from power plants, the biggest source of carbon pollution, by 30 percent by 2030. As expected from anything relating to the EPA, the proposal has been supported and attacked. The National Review noted the importance of coal to the global economy and pointed out America’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions. On the other hand, the Natural Resources Defense Council discussed the potential health benefits.

Today, the Center for Strategic and International Studies paired up with the Rhodium Group and released a study detailing the possible effects of the CPP. One thing that the report discussed is the fact that states like Texas and Oklahoma actually could benefit the most from the EPA’s proposal. Texas would have to work harder than every other state to reduce carbon emissions to acceptable levels. However, they would be able to compensate by increased national demand for natural gas. The report actually stated that Texas could earn around $17 billion from the plan, while coal-based states like West Virginia and Wyoming would suffer. The New York Times and the Huffington Post have already used this to castigate those states for their lack of support for the Clean Power Plan.

However, that was not everything covered in the report. In a presentation which was entitled “Remaking American Power: The Economic and Energy Impacts of Power Plant Emission Standards”, a few things that I observed today:

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