American Forest & Paper Association President (AF&PA) Washington, D.C., USA, CEO Donna Harman issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan (CPP) and issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to seek input on a possible replacement.

"The Clean Power Plan has been flawed from the start, and we welcome EPA’s efforts to provide states and ratepayers, including on paper and wood products manufacturers, with relief from costly, complex and harmful regulatory overreach. The nation deserves affordable, reliable electricity, not rate hikes, and competitive harm that can stem from onerous regulation.

"As the EPA moves forward, we will closely examine the agency’s proposed next steps and continue to advocate for the regulatory certainty our industry needs in order to contribute to economic expansion and job creation."