Kaine asks EPA to give Va. credit in carbon rules

Sen. Tim Kaine asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do more to reward states like Virginia that have already tried to reduce carbon emissions as it completes its proposed Clean Power Plan.

That plan aims to cut carbon emissions from existing power plants by 30 percent by 2030.

In a letter to the EPA, Kaine said Virginia has already reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 38 percent since 2005. A one-size-fits-all approach hits Virginia disproportionately hard, he said. Instead, he said it is a good idea to recognize states that have already moved to cut carbon releases.

Kaine also asked the EPA to project the potential emission savings from energy efficiency measures on federal government installations like Naval Station Norfolk and the Pentagon.

“I’ve never accepted the view that cleaning up pollution and growing the economy are incompatible goals,"; Kaine said.

He said he is confident that the nation can cut carbon emissions in a way that addresses climate change and rising sea levels while keeping electricity prices affordable.

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