OREANDA-NEWS. Kansas governor Sam Brownback (R) signed a bill setting parameters for how the state complies with the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan.

The bill, HB 2233, requires state agencies responsible for drafting a state implementation plan (SIP) to examine potential electricity rate impacts that may arise from complying with the EPA rule to address CO2 emissions from existing power plants. The law mandates that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment identify ways to avoid unreasonable costs under a best system of emissions reductions, which may include emissions trading or emissions averaging across the generation fleet. Brownback signed the bill into law on 28 May.

The law creates an oversight committee of state lawmakers that will track the progress of and vote on the SIP. The Clean Power Plan Implementation Study Committee will run from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2017.

State agencies including the environment department have expressed opposition to the Clean Power Plan in comments to EPA, citing concerns over its legality, federal overreach into grid reliability and a limited timeline for implementation.

Attorney general Derek Schmidt (R) is among 19 state attorneys general who have called on EPA to withdraw its proposed CO2 standards for new power plants, and the state is participating in two lawsuits challenging the Clean Power Plan proposal.

The new law allows state regulators to not submit a plan if the attorney general determines that such a plan would conflict with Kansas' legal position in current or pending legal challenges against the rule.

Under the EPA's proposal, Kansas would be required to reduce its CO2 rate to 1,499lb/MWh by 2030, compared with a 2012 rate of 1,940lb/MWh. The state would be required to achieve about 50pc of its emissions cuts by 2020, the environment department said in its comments to EPA.