NEW YORK (AP) — American Electric Power Co. spent $2.75
million lobbying the government in the second quarter on clean air and
clean water rules, according to a recent disclosure report.
That’s
77 percent more than the $1.56 million the company spent in the second
quarter of last year. It’s 37 percent more than the $2 million company
spent in the first quarter of 2011.
AEP and other electric
utilities are facing a host of new and tightening environmental rules,
and AEP has been lobbying to block or delay the rules, or allow
companies more time to comply with them.
The Environmental
Protection Agency is in the process of tightening clean air and clean
water standards in order to reduce the amount of pollutants such as
mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that utilities and others
are allowed to release into the air and to reduce the amount of water
the electric power industry uses to cool power plants.
Two-thirds
of AEP’s electric generation capacity comes from coal-fired power
plants, a major source of these pollutants and large users of water.
Congress
is considering a measure that would curb the EPA’s ability to issue
rules and force the EPA to factor in the cost of implementing rules, not
just medical and scientific evidence.
AEP also lobbied the
government about impending new EPA rules governing emissions of carbon
dioxide and other gases that contribute to climate change, which are
generated in large amounts by burning coal and other fossil fuels. A
2007 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court gave EPA the authority to
regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. Democrats,
Republicans, industry leaders and even the EPA all agree separate
legislation would be preferable but Congress has been unable to agree on
new rules.
Congress is considering several measures that would
either prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases or delay rules
by two years.
AEP, based in Columbus, Ohio, serves 5.2 million
customers in 11 states and has 80 power plants. AEP also operates the
nation’s largest electric transmission network. The company lobbied for
changes in way the transmission lines are approved by regulators in
hopes of making it easier to build lines across states.
In the
April-to-June period, AEP lobbied Congress, the EPA and the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the report filed July 18 with
the House clerk’s office.
Lobbyists are required to disclose
activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative
branches of government under a federal law enacted in 1995.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.