Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to ``Emissions Budget and Allowance Allocations for Indiana Under the Revised Cross-State Air Pollution

Floor Speech

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Mr. YOUNG. Madam President--

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Mr. YOUNG. I thank the good Senator.

Madam President, I request 5 minutes to state my case.

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Mr. YOUNG. Madam President, I would say that I love all of our States, and I am very proud that the State of Indiana plays such a critical role in ensuring economic resiliency and the manufacturing potential of this great Nation--something so important to all of our citizens irrespective of where you live.

I represent the most manufacturing-intensive State in the country. Energy demand is up, manufacturers are invested in expanding, small businesses are plugging in, and our Nation's energy needs are rising. Indiana is foremost a manufacturing State. About 45 percent of our instate electricity generation comes from coal. That is the reality. That means dependable, around-the-clock capacity isn't optional; it is how the Hoosier economy runs.

Yes, the expectation was that four Indiana coal-fired power units would be offline by 2024, but the facts on the ground have changed, and our responsibility here today is to keep power dependable and affordable with the megawatts we have--the megawatts we already have.

So what the EPA is doing now is a commonsense correction. That is all we are talking about--updating Indiana's summer emissions limit to match the plants that are actually in operation while keeping the underlying clean air guardrails in place. Keep those in place. Plants still have to meet current environmental standards. They still have to run controls. No one is getting a free pass here. This is merely a housekeeping correction that lines up the State limit with active generation so unrealistic, retroactive costs aren't forced on powerplants and ultimately the ratepayer.

This is common sense, pushing aside the bureaucracy and using the flexibility that we have in the law. It keeps the numbers honest, it keeps the planning stable for the hottest months of the year, and it avoids regulatory whiplash. Imagine if we are changing the rules nonstop in DC. It would create great uncertainty. So this accommodates the realities on the ground.

If this fix were overturned, Indiana would revert to older limits designed for a fleet that no longer exists, so, in practice, that means less operating room during heat waves and higher costs right when our citizens need power the most--all of our citizens.

Hoosiers are already feeling it. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Indiana's average home electricity prices are up roughly 11.5 percent year over year, and the Trump administration aims to do something about it.

Rather than working to keep generation steady and reliability predictable, my colleagues--at least some of them--on the other side of the aisle are advancing a repeal effort that would punish Indiana at the worst possible time.

Hoosiers should not pay more because government insists on regulating yesterday's grid instead of today's realities. Instead, we should focus on adding new capacity--new capacity--before prematurely retiring existing assets and cut redtape so that generation, pipelines, and transmission get built faster. That is what we should do. Let's not write off active megawatts and then act surprised when bills rise and lights flicker.

So if your priority is reliability and protecting American families from price spikes, the choice is clear: Keep what works today so we can build what we need for tomorrow.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this disapproval resolution.

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