Rogers/2SenatorLewis

S.S._____

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ABILL
Tolowercarbonemissionsresultingfromcoalpowerplantsandindustry.

BeitenactedbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStatesofAmericainCongressassembled,

SECTION1.SHORTTITLE

ThisactmaybecitedastheCleanerAirActof2015.

SECTION2.FINDINGS

Congressherebyfindsanddeclaresthat,
A)
Electricityproductiongeneratesthelargestshareofgreenhousegasemissions(31percent)intheUnitedStates.
B)In2013,greenhousegasemissionsfromtransportationaccountedforabout27percentoftotalU.S.greenhouse
gasemissions,makingitthesecondlargestcontributorofU.S.greenhousegasemissions.
C)In2013,directindustrialgreenhousegasemissionsaccountedforapproximately21percentoftotalU.S.
greenhousegasemissions.
D)
In2013,CarbonDioxideaccountedforabout82percentofallU.S.greenhousegasemissionsfromhuman
activities.
E)

Ifautomakersusedthetechnologytheyhaverightnowtoraisefueleconomystandardsfornewcarsandlight
truckstoacombined40m.p.g.,carbondioxidepollutionwouldeventuallydropbymorethan650milliontonsper
yearasthesevehiclesreplacedoldermodels.
F)

Snow,seaiceandglaciercoveragewilldecreasebecauseofhighertemperatures,resultinginrisingsealevelsand
increasedcoastalfloodingrisingtemperatureswillalsothawpermafrostintheArctic.
G)

Energyrelatedcarbondioxideemissions(CO
)increasedfrom5,267millionmetrictons(MMmt)in2012to
2
5,396MMmtin2013(2percrent).
H)Althoughcoolingdegreedays(CDD)weremuchlower(12.8percent)fortheyearcomparedwith2012,there
wasa2.2percentincreaseinelectricityrelatedemissionsaselectricityretailsalestotheresidentialsectorsaleswere
upby1.2percentandthecarbonintensityofgenerationincreasedby1percentascomparedto2012,thecolder
weatherin2013contributedtoincreasedelectricityconsumptioninregionsthatheatwithelectricity.
I)The2011TotalCarbonDioxideEmissionsfromtheconsumptionofenergy(MillionMetricTons)is
5490.63.
J)
Ingeneral,inacapandtradesystem,anentity(likeastateregulatoryagency)establishesanoverallcapfor
carbondioxideemissionswithinitsregionparticipantsreceivepermits,alsoknownas"allowances,"toemitcarbon
dioxideuptothatlimit.
K)
2014wasthehottestyearonrecordglobally,and2015isontracktobreakthatrecord.
L)
Globally,the10warmestyearsonrecordalloccurredsince1998.
M)Windturbinesharnessaircurrentsandconvertthemtoemissionsfreepower.
N)Comparedwithnaturalcoal,whichemitsbetween1.4and3.6poundsofCO2E/kWh,
wind
emitsonly0.02to0.04
poundsofCO2E/kWh,
solar
0.07to0.2,
geothermal
0.1to0.2,and
hydroelectric
0.1to0.5.

SECTION3.STATUTORYLANGUAGE
A)TheCleanerActof2015shallestablishacapandtradeonallcarbonemissionsresultingfromcoalpower
plantsandindustry.Ac
apandtrade
beingamarketbasedpolicytoolforprotectinghumanhealthandthe
environmentbycontrollinglargeamountsofemissionsfromagroupofsources.Thiscapandtradeshallbedecided
bytheEPA.
B)ThislawshallbeenforcedandfundedbytheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA).Thisagencyshallensure
decreasedcarbonemissionsbysendingrepresentativestoinvestigatetheindustryorcompanyinquestion.All
companiesaresubjecttospontaneousandrandomizedevaluations.Eachyear,companiesshallrecordfinalCO2
emissionsandsendthesetobeevaluatedbytheEPA.
C)Anycompanyfoundviolatingthispenaltyshallbeheldundersuspension,andshallnotbeallowedtocontinue
operations,untilpropermeasuresareaddressedtolowercarbonfuelemissions.Additionallythecompanyin
questionwillbefinedfiftymilliondollars.TheCleanerAirActof2015willbeenactedonJanuary1,2017.