WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Tom Udall issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to block the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change:
"I'm extremely disappointed in the Supreme Court's unprecedented decision to halt the administration's signature effort to fight global warming. The court may have put a stay on the Clean Power Plan, but no one is putting a stay on climate change, which will continue to threaten our nation. Rather than providing any relief, this decision sows confusion for states, utilities, businesses and the public. We can't afford to set back efforts to fight global warming or send signals that discourage the market from investing in the American clean energy economy.
"New Mexico and the Southwest are in the bull's-eye when it comes to the impacts of global warming. Rising temperatures and increasingly severe drought and wildfires are putting our communities, water supply and agricultural producers at risk. New Mexicans are well aware of the threat, and that's why we have taken positive steps to balance our energy use and fight climate change. Not only is New Mexico reducing emissions, the emphasis on developing wind, solar and other alternative energy sources is creating good jobs. New Mexico is well on our way to complying with the EPA's plan based on decisions and commitments that have already been made, and I believe we should continue on that path.
"Ultimately, I believe the EPA will prevail in the courts, and market forces are already driving a transition to clean energy. I encourage the EPA to keep working with states that choose to continue to develop their Clean Power Plans and prepare the tools those states will need. I also urge the administration to continue to take aggressive steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the country so we can ensure our children and grandchildren can live in healthier and safer communities."
