The Obama administration has unveiled its sweeping new carbon reduction mandate, known as the Clean Power Plan. And despite vehement opposition, Republicans still have no strategy to counteract the measure, reports The Texas Observer. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has criticized the plan as a “power grab,” while Senator Ted Cruz called it “lawless and radical.” And the GOP has filed a bevy of lawsuits against the administration.
But beyond that, Republicans have entered into what has been called a “qualified pessimism” about overturning Obama’s environmental policies. One reason: The Clean Power Plan has a limited timeline. So public officials will have to bring emissions into compliance before legal cases can be played out.
At a recent summit in Austin, there were many spiteful remarks made about the Obama energy plan, but few solutions. In the meantime, Texas generates 10 percent of its energy from wind power, and solar power is poised to boom.