The Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) hosted US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy at an intimate roundtable on campus on Thursday. Administrator McCarthy met with a group of approximately 20 students and faculty to discuss recent EPA clean air and clean water initiatives. The students – both undergraduates and graduates - all study sustainability and energy issues within a variety of disciplines spanning economics, business, science, law, and policy.
A centerpiece of the conversation was the Clean Power Plan, a landmark EPA action enacted in June that governs carbon emissions from the electric power sector. The Clean Power Plan sets an overall 32% carbon reduction target from 2005 levels by 2030, although each state has its own target ranging from approximately 10% to just below 50% based on the fuel composition of its generation fleet. Illinois has a reduction target of 44% below 2012 levels.
McCarthy focused on the detailed consideration afforded to the legal and administrative framework of the Clean Power Plan. Responding to a student question about possible implementation barriers, McCarthy was firm that the Administration feels that the rule is on solid legal ground under EPA Clean Air Act authority to regulate pollutants. Instead, their focus is on implementation – although the rule is prescriptive about state pollution thresholds, it leaves it up to the states to determine how to meet those standards.
“The Clean Power Plan is very flexible because it is the EPA’s job to reduce pollution, not create energy policy,” said McCarthy. “We don’t want to take away the state’s choices.”
Student questions also touched on topics ranging from infrastructure investment to public health to diesel emissions regulations.
“It was really exciting to have a discussion with Administrator McCarthy face-to-face,” said Christina Cilento, WCAS ’17. “She was really genuine in wanting to hear from students and know what the EPA can improve on, which I appreciated and also admired."
McCarthy addressed the perception that economic vitality and environmental regulation cannot coexist. She rejected that dichotomy, noting that the solar energy industry is adding jobs at a rate 20 times faster than the overall economy. Both federal and state governments must take responsibility to support the transition to the clean energy economy, she said, especially in the most affected communities, such as those in coal country. The coal industry has been in steady decline since 2008, and has recently been impacted much more substantially by cheap domestic natural gas than environmental regulations.
“During the discussion, it was obvious how committed Administrator McCarthy is to protecting the environment for future generations,” said Lumay Wang, Kellogg ’16. “I’m inspired by her ability to creatively reimagine the EPA’s usual tools to incent change. As a former Congressional aide, I admire her gutsiness and her recognition to bring a variety of stakeholders to the table.”