Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) applauded Commissioner Andrew Wheeler’s announcement that the EPA plans to issue a rule in June relaxing air pollution standards for diesel generators in remote areas of Alaska.

Diesel generators are the exclusive power source for many remote areas in Alaska. EPA air quality regulations have imposed considerable burdens on the remote communities that depend on diesel generators as their sole source of power. These communities are faced with significant compliance costs as they purchase newer, more expensive generators to meet EPA standards.

In January, Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young re-introduced legislation to support these remote communities by requiring the EPA to relax diesel generator standards.

“Today’s announcement is a great victory for our remote Alaskan communities,” said Congressman Don Young. “There is no clearer example of how out-of-touch Washington can be than EPA bureaucrats imposing immense costs on families who simply want to heat their homes, run their appliances, and keep their lights on. Quite frankly, new generators are very costly, and families shouldn’t be burdened by an arbitrary decision made by bureaucrats four thousand miles away. I thank Administrator Wheeler for today’s decision and will continue working to ensure this decision is made permanent through legislation.”

“Many Alaskans live far from power grids that most Americans take for granted,” said Senator Dan Sullivan. “The EPA’s existing regulation for these communities, unfortunately, has made it expensive and nearly impossible in some cases to maintain reliable electricity in communities that rely entirely on diesel to heat and power their homes through long, sub-zero winters. This can seriously risk the health and welfare of rural Alaskans. I’m grateful that Administrator Wheeler is recognizing the unintended impacts of their existing rule, and issuing a more technologically feasible standard that doesn’t put an unnecessary burden on Alaska families and small businesses.”

Image- Good News Bay power plant. Image-AK DEC

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