Dive Brief:

• Oklahoma senators have passed a measure designed to push back on the Obama administration's proposed carbon rules, setting up a system to develop compliance plans that focus on the lowest cost of power.
• The law also requires the state's attorney general to determine that the plan is appropriate and in line with Oklahoma's priorities.
• The law will now head to Gov. Mary Fallin's desk for consideration. The governor recently signed an executive order declaring the state would not file an implementation plan for the Clean Power Plan. 

Dive Insight:

A measure aimed at wresting carbon emissions control away from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and keeping it with the state has passed both houses in Oklahoma and now heads to the governor's desk. 

The bill states that compliance strategies to meet federal carbon mandates must "consider the lowest reasonable energy costs for Oklahoma energy consumers while maintaining electric grid reliability and the delivery of reliable energy to consumers."

Sen. Greg Treat (R), who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that “most states believe that EPA is attempting to use the Clean Power Plan to take control over their electric power system." Treat said the the Clean Power Plan "will increase electricity prices in Oklahoma by 18% to 22% and the Southwest Power Pool warned that the Clean Power Plan is a threat to electric reliability,” according to Tulsa World,.

Separately, but perhaps indicating her willingness to sign the bill, Gov. Fallin this week issued an executive order stating that Oklahoma does not intend to file a state implementation plan with the EPA, regulating carbon dioxide emissions produced by Oklahoma power plants.

“President Obama and the EPA are fighting a politically charged war against utility consumers across the country,” Fallin said in a statement. “While the environmental benefits of these regulations will be minimal, the economic devastation of these overreaching and unrealistic regulations will be very real."

"The state of Oklahoma has no intention of implementing new regulations that run directly contrary to the interests of our citizens and our state," Fallin said.