Committee on Health and Environmental Protection
March 29, 2017 City Council Meeting
RESOLUTION-CLEAN POWER PLAN
WHEREAS, Power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, producing approximately one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, The production of these toxic emissions results in severe, costly damage to public health and the environment; and
WHEREAS, There are currently no national limits on carbon pollution levels; and
WHEREAS, The Clean Power Plan (CPP) protects the health and environment of Chicagoans by curbing dangerous carbon pollution and reducing other toxic pollutants like mercury, nitrous oxide, and sulfur dioxide; and
WHEREAS, The CPP will aid in cutting carbon pollution from the power sector by approximately 30 percent from 2005 levels and will reduce pollutants contributing to soot and smog that damage people's health by more than 25 percent; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that, by 2030, the CPP stands to prevent up to 150,000 asthma attacks and up to 6,600 premature deaths annually, providing between $55 billion to $93 billion in public health and climate benefits per year; and
WHEREAS, The estimated annual costs of the CPP are between $7.3 billion and $8.8 billion in 2030, resulting in gains in the tens of billions of dollars; and
WHEREAS, The EPA projects that upon full implementation of the CPP in 2030, electricity bills will be roughly 8 percent lower than they would been without the actions in state plans, saving residential consumers roughly $8 per month; and
WHEREAS, The clean energy economy has expanded to employ more than 100,000 workers in Illinois and has saved consumers over $1 billion on their electric bills; and
WHEREAS, Although coal-fired power plants in Chicago, Joliet, Alton and more were put on the path to retirement in 2015, Illinois still relies on coal fired power plants, which are among the largest polluters of Illinois' air and water, for roughly one third of its energy,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and the members of City Council stand in support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its Clean Power Plan and expresses its opposition to the Trump administration's energy independence executive order and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Chicago will continue to support environmental justice and advance energy efficiency and clean energy deployment with a focus on neighborhoods historically burdened by pollution; and