Indiana small business owners and advocates are battling the Obama administration’s new rules on carbon emissions.
The federal plan, which calls for a 32 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, drew the opposition of NFIB and a range of Hoosier policymakers.
“Indiana businesses will be hit particularly hard by this new rule,” said NFIB/Indiana State Director Barbara Quandt. “The Hoosier state relies heavily on coal and will be disproportionately impacted by higher electricity prices. These costs will have to be passed on to consumers, leaving us all with higher prices across the board. The regulations will force Hoosiers to rely on unreliable forms of energy, and ultimately hurt consumers. Small businesses need affordable, dependable electricity to serve their customers and this regulation undermines both.”
For his part, Gov. Mike Pence said that “little to no consideration was given to states like ours throughout the development of the EPA’s final rule and that is simply not acceptable.”
“Throughout this process, Indiana has called time and again for these ill-conceived rules to be withdrawn, and I informed the Administration that unless the final rule was demonstrably and significantly improved, Indiana would not comply,” Pence said.
In early August, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller joined 14 other states to block the new rules. “Far too much is at stake for jobs and the economy in Indiana for us to do anything less,” Pence said.
