AEP president pleads to be regulated

Interviewed by the Associated Press on June 22, American Electric Powers (AEP) president, Michael Morris, was keen to stress that the world is in desperate need of greenhouse gas controls to curtail global warming.  Morris explained that We are more than prepared to go forward.  We are absolutely dedicated to improving the air performance at our power plants.

Furthermore, Morris believes that a plan much in line with the Kyoto Protocol is needed to set an international standard for emissions.  However, he added that the standard must be fair to American workers.  Morris also believes that the inclusion of developing countries like India and China must be mandatory in order to prevent them from gaining an advantage over the United States.  This echoes the Byrd-Hagel resolution adopted 95-0 by the Senate in 1997.

Morris concluded by explaining that AEP was on their side when speaking of environmentalists demanding stricter standards.  However, those environmentalists do not necessarily feel that AEP is on theirs.  Some have said that AEP still needs to do much more.

Coal-fired plants, which emit the most carbon dioxide of any power-generating option, account for 65 percent of AEPs generating capacity.  AEP has five million customers in the 11 States it serves from Michigan to Texas.  This interview comes at a time when AEP is involved in a lawsuit accusing the company of breaking the regulations of the Clean Air Act.  The suit charges AEP with not installing modern pollution controls at 11 of its plants.