Dive Brief:

• The state of Wisconsin's motion to join the lawsuit against federal carbon mandates was granted Wednesday, making it the 14th state to oppose the Clean Power Plan in court.
• The states are challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed carbon cuts, arguing that the mandates are too costly and the agency overstepped its authority.
• Separately, the state of Kansas signed on to a letter asking the EPA to pull back from its proposed standards.

Dive Insight:

Opposition to the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan (CPP) appears to be growing in advance if the final regulations, expected to be released this summer. Wisconsin now makes the 14th state to sue the EPA over the proposal. They argue that the federal government does not have the authority to regulate existing power plants, and that it has no authority over states' generation.

WISC-TV reports the state has preliminary goals to reduce emissions by 34% by 2030, but Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker believes the result could be electricity rates almost 30% higher, and a cost of up to $13 billion.

And separately, though the intent is similar, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Kansas has signed on to a letter with 18 other states requesting the EPA drop the proposal. They argue that the agency failed to issue a final rule within certain time limits, making new mandates unlawful.

"EPA’s failure to promulgate final new source performance standards by January 8, 2014, requires the withdrawal of the Proposed Rule," they wrote.