ALEXANDRIA, Va. - This week, NACS signed a letter that supports Rep. Fred Upton??s (R-MI) bill that takes away the Environmental Protection Agency??s (EPA) jurisdiction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 (HR 910) will be voted on this week.

On Jan. 2, EPA started regulating GHG emissions from stationary sources. The letter stated that agency regulations "require industrial sites, power plants and other businesses that emit GHGs above certain thresholds to apply for a permit whenever they want to build or modernize their facilities. EPA is also moving to regulate GHGs from existing sources and will likely expand the scope of these regulations in the future. In today??s fragile economy, when we need American businesses to be expanding at full speed, these rules create uncertainty and delay.

"Congress, not EPA, should be guiding America??s energy policy. Without action by lawmakers, EPA??s regulations will make it difficult to attract new manufacturing capacity and jobs to the United States, let alone double U.S. exports in five years, as President Obama has pledged. In addition, even EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson admitted that EPA??s regulations will not do anything to reduce global concentrations of GHGs.

"HR 910 would stop the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases from stationary sources, and put Congress back in the driver??s seat. HR 910 will not weaken the provisions of the Clean Air Act that are designed explicitly to protect public health."

Joining NACS in signing the letter were the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Petroleum Institute, Brick Industry Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Manufacturers and NPRA.