EPA Might Kill the Clean Power Plan and Apple Isn’t Happy

Apple Earth Day 2017 Credit: Apple
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Back in 2014, the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a slate of sweeping measures and protocols — known as the Clean Power Plan — aimed at reducing the United States’ emission of greenhouse gasses. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order initiating a review of the Clean Power Plan and its implications, though he ultimately opted to scrap them in favor of a decidedly “America-first” energy plan.

Now, as the current EPA weighs the pros and cons of repealing the Clean Energy Plan initiatives, Apple is speaking out in staunch opposition of any impending changes, citing that the move would foster “increased investment uncertainty” for the tech-giant and its supply chain partners, according to a Reuters report.

“Repealing the Clean Power Plan will subject consumers like Apple and our large manufacturing partners to increased investment uncertainty,” the iPhone-maker said in a statement to the EPA.

“We believe strong clean energy and climate policies, like the Clean Power Plan, can make renewable energy supplies more robust and address the serious threat of climate change while also supporting American competitiveness, innovation, and job growth.” 

Apple asserts that its U.S.-based operations run entirely on “renewable energy,” including wind and solar power, and noted that a full repeal of the Clean Power Plan would not only pose a threat to developments which have already been made through investments in renewable power, but that competition with China, specifically, would be jeopardized if the plan is repealed.

Apple, along with several other U.S. tech companies including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, were among the leading proponents of the Clean Power Plan when it was crafted and introduced by the former President’s EPA chief, Regina McCarthy, who Obama nominated in 2013 to replace outgoing EPA boss, Lisa P. Jackson, who at the time stepped-down to serve as Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives.

Despite the tech-giant’s advocacy to get the Clean Power Plan into action, the former EPA faced widespread pushback and the plan was never actually enacted due to “legal challenges” stacked against it.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the Trump administration’s EPA, headed by former Oklahoma Attorney General, Scott Pruitt, has received and reviewed Apple’s aforementioned statement of opposition, indicating in response that it “will be considering the comments” when crafting future policies.

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