Surprise: GE Scores First Exemption From Obama Greenhouse Gas Regulations
Last month, President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating greenhouse gases from power plants and polluters for the first time. The new regulations stirred immediate controversy as critics predicted they would only slow down the nation’s economic recovery. Uncertainty in the agency’s regulations caused energy producers to stall plans for future operations in an already struggling economy.
“Finally we’ve got the rules that are beginning to require power companies to account for their global warming pollution,” Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Cale Jaffe said. “That’s a historic turn of events.”
But just one month later, the Obama administration has begun handing out exemptions from the rules, starting with a power plant project stocked with technology from the company whose boss now leads the president’s own Council on Jobs and Competitiveness — Jeffrey Immelt’s GE.
Greenwire reports:
The Obama administration will spare a stalled power plant project in California from the newest federal limits on greenhouse gases and conventional air pollution, U.S. EPA says in a new court filing that marks a policy shift in the face of industry groups and Republicans accusing the agency of holding up construction of large industrial facilities.
According to a declaration by air chief Gina McCarthy, officials reviewed EPA policies and decided it was appropriate to “grandfather” projects such as the Avenal Power Center, a proposed 600-megawatt power plant in the San Joaquin Valley, so they are exempted from rules such as new air quality standards for smog-forming nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
The Avenal Power Center just so happens to be fully-equipped by GE:
The proposed Avenal Energy project will be a combined-cycle generating plant consisting of two natural gas-fired General Electric 7FA Gas Turbines with Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG) and one General Electric Steam Turbine.
The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney points out that while this may be just a coincidence, it is an awfully large coincidence:
Maybe GE CEO Jeff Immelt’s closeness to President Obama, and his broad support for Obama’s agenda, had nothing to do with this exemption. But we have no way of knowing that, and given the administration’s record of regularly misleading Americans regarding lobbyists, frankly, I wouldn’t trust the White House if they told me there was no connection.
On the upside, at least Job Czar Immelt is creating jobs!
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Comments (140)
inexiletill2012
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:52amI heard Jeffrey Immelt even kissed Obama when he was done.
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OnToppaThat
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:51amThis is a friggin SCANDAL of HUGE proportions….just be cause it’s “no suprise’ doesn’t mean it should just go away. MAKE NOISE PEOPLE. Where are all the Haliburton haters? Isn’t there an honest journalist left in this whole damn country????
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psst
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:40am@Ontoppathat.
A simple answer to your ? on” Is there any honest journalist left ” is NO.
The MSM have been compromised /taken over many many Moons ago.
Conservative internet sites and conservative talk-radio is the only place left to get the truth.
And those are coming under attack as we speak.Both are a threat to the NWO/OWG movement.
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psst
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:37amWhen bilLIE was prez, Johnny Chung and Charlie Trie used to brung him brown-bags lunches filled w/ Chicom dallas/ I mean ameriKan dallas from the ChiComs.
Hussein prefers to get his greenbacks rat here in ameriKa. No brown bags for this moslem marxist. His greenbacks are delivered to the WH by a courier dressed in a 4 piece bidniz suit. The 4the piece stays at the WH.
Folks, lets get real. The country is doomed long term.As long as lemming leeches (white-black-brown) better knows as ameriKa’s baby factories have the right to vote, even though they get tax credits instead of paying federal taxes, , they will continue to vote for the marxist party (aka dem party) that promises them Utopia/Nirvana. This class will be the majority of the citizenry in the not too distant future.
We will continue to have marxist presidents as far as the eye can see. We may have a round or two of new presidential election cycle before this kicks in.
Geeez! This is not rocket science.It’s simply lemmings impregnating lemmings on a continual basis because we (the taxpayers) can still afford their chirrens/chilluns.So far.
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Cabo King
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:33amgo figure, can you say conflict of interest–g.e and Obama are in bed together
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GUT_CHECK
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:32amthe “cap and trade” electronic exchange went broke (thank God)
the market wont support it.
so, these slippery snake-oil salesmen in this administration find a way to legislate it.
they must be stopped, tarred and feathered.
Ron Paul 2012 / Return to Common Sense
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Anne Marie Pogo
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:23amSame old, same old…. preach about and support the rules for THEE, not ME. If you’re union, push for the health care bill, support Obama, and you get a health care law exemption…if you’re GE and support Obama’s agenda, you get greenhouse gas exemptions. Blatant hypocrisy to say the least, outright corruption at worst. The average American taxpayer and small businesses pay in the end and always gets the wrong end of the stick.
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smithclar3nc3
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:35amIs it time to call a spade a spade….yet
The progressive movement is so blatantly corrupt and rotten to the core you can smell the stench in China. We don’t have the time to wait two years as our freedom are taken. And like all government whether a power once given is hard to remove.
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dawg of gawd
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 10:42amSMITHCLAR3NC3 . . . re: spade
It’s not subtle. It’s not funny.It’s not original. It’s not defensible. If you wish to make a racist remark about the president based on his skin color, at least have the guts to “say it out plain” as my grandmother used to say.
Your little “digs” do nothing but bring shame to you and to all conservatives trying to make this country a better more prosperous place for all Americans. If you can’t rise above your baser instincts, please, keep them in your backyard.
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:22am.
GE Scores First With Obama?
Hope they wore protection………………
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tinydd
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:18amObama Policies = Corruption. Any questions?
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hauschild
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:16amTypical Marxism – corrupt to the bone.
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NickDeringer
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:15amBillionaires for Barry. I’m so glad we have an honest transparent administration.
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HuskerVet
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:15amNo surprise here…
All this administrations “programs” have exemptions that will be paid for by those that don’t.
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Whostolemypig
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:14amGE is promoting how green they have become, evidently their green energy campaign isn’t working out too well. http://www.ecomagination.com/technologies/wind-energy/
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CJ35
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:14amSo much of free market competition.
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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:44amWell, technically, we don’t have a free market by any stretch of the imagination. Free markets wouldn’t contain corporations with “people in Washington” lobbying politicians for political favors, since there would be nothing a government could do to favor any economic interest. We have so many rules, laws, regulations, taxes, fees, permits, licenses and assorted other petty attachments to our economic activity today that it can be called anything BUT free.
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DashRipRock
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:14amthe really funny thing is
GE’s stock was worth three times more under Bush than it has been under Obama
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theduchessofkitty
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:12am“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm
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Marcobob69
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:08amI’m shocked, SHOCKED, to find GE getting an exemption from cap and tax!!! Really? Not so shocked when there is a Jeffery Immelt company involved, he’s so far up Obama’s sphincter that if Barry stops short, Jeff will be on the other side of him! Can you say “Conflict of Interest”???? I knew you could!
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psst
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:33am@marcobob69
You have that backwards.
Imelt have THE “munny” Hussein is helping him to make even more “munny”. Hussein will be a billionaire after he leaves office.
Hussein have spent most of his loot( from writing crap books) on lawyers to cover his Kenyan “ruts”
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Steve Martin
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:07amIt is no suprise that O’Barry did this.
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smithclar3nc3
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:06amWell America has a new enemy in the EPA. We elect offical to set policy it’s not the job of unelelcted unvetted PARTISAN hires in the EPA to set standard for the American people . This is in fact taxation without representation…..gee what happened the last time a government tried to pull this crap……. America wake up call,write or visit your Congressman…before all youir choices are removed
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alcarfl
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:06amEverything POTUS proposed and promised in his campaign benefits GE dcirectly – energy, medical, media, for example. The biggest supporter of Cap & Tax and the carbon counters in Chicago. GE. The biggest depositer in Shore Bank, the carbon clearing house). GE Linked directly to Shore Bank, Senator Barack Obama. Hmmmmmm
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Moocephus
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:06amForget the science. Just ram policy down their throats and the’ll eventually forget that this is a blantant cap and trade ploy. This admenstration wants nothing more than a weakened American economy. Only this will allow their socialist agenda to fruition. Just like healthcare, lets not penalize our friends and supporters.
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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:22amIt’s all about power, and re-establishing feudalism. The more I consider “socialism” and “communism” and “mercantilism” the more I realize that they are little more than regressive movements back to “what was” in defiance of the new world we had set up for ourselves where individual men were finally free. “They”, the people who lead these movements, have always hated others being out of their control. “They”, the people who lead these movements, are the same type of people who paean for strong leaders and a thralldom for the masses, just as has always existed in human history prior to the Enlightenment era. They call their movements different names, but the end result looks the same as it has always been throughout human history. And they know it.
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hempstead1944
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:04amSurprise ? What surprise ? They paid dearly for it and so will their customers…..
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:04am.
Camel Ali is gonna have to find a new vechicle for his Ritual Camel Charge and Head Whoooooooping if Obama has his way.
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Gonzo
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:03amThis administration promised transparency. That’s pretty transparent.
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SHASTADIANE1
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:12amAin’t that the truth? They aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they are sticking it to the American people! Like Health care, depends on who you are if you are exempt. Brother!
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HillBillySam1
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:35amLet’s all play the “Obammy Lottery”, where you don’t play your numbers…..the Administration plays YOU!!!!
As they say in my beloved Commonwealth of Kentucky: “SOMEBODY has to win…..why not YOU?!?”. Oh, I hope that he picks me…..I always got picked last in gym class…..I’m very confident that it will be totally different with Pres. Obammy…..where do I purchase my ticket?? Did someone say April 15th….???
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what4
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 10:38amBeing perfectly transparent here….BOYCOTT GE…Dont buy their sheet!
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easyed598
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:34amBiggest Obama supporters and Obamacare were the Unions and GE . Now they get both get exemptions. What is wrong with that picture?
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EqualJustice
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:01amHAHAHAHAHAHA Thanks. We all knew this would happen. This story just made my day. :)
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IntheKnowOG
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:02amSame here. Notice no lefty trolls show up on feeds like this? Perhaps the sunlight is to much for the vampires sucking the life from this republic?
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Robert-CA
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 2:23pmBRIBERY BRIBERY BRIBERY , isn’t it punishable by law ?…apparently not in the US
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:00am.
My wife said they need to exempt my behind we had red beans last night.
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oldguy49
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:06amthis is all crooked chicago politics
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:20am.
Darn my eyes are burning…………..
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HillBillySam1
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:25amThese are not the “natural gas” fired steam turbines that run on red beans, GEAUX……did you pull the covers over her head before you “went on-line”??…….the horror…….
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TexasCommonSense
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:33am“We’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us”.
BHO
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:34am.
@HillBillySam1
Yep, first thing this morning played turtle with the wife. I won!!!!
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Independent Tess
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:36amCrony Capitalism -newest definition in my lexicon. Add it to Chicago Politics and you get Obama Administration.
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HillBillySam1
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:38amHee Hee!! To the victor go the soils….uh…..I mean “spoils”, GEAUX. You da man!!!!!!
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Promotefreedom
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:41amGovernment Electric has had its agenda cooking for years. Bought and paid for…GE is in position to rake billions with cap & trade or whatever they want to call it now.
The president is blatantly rubbing our faces in it now by appointing Immelt to his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and then the exemptions. Hmmmm… following in the footsteps of Obamacare?
This feels like the new norm.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:52amGE scores the first exemption from the Obama EPA madness controls; and this should be anything of a suprise to anyone with a connection to reality?
More information on the story can be found on the sight:
http://www.drudgereport.com – search for the listing “GE exemption” if I remember it correctly.
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Blackhawk1
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:56amGeauxAlready
I believe that pulling the covers over the wife’s head after a backfire would be called a “DUTCH OVEN”. At least that what I tell the wife.
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GeauxAlready
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 10:07am.
@Blackhawk1
Dutch Oven, I’ll try that next time might throw her off for a few seconds.
FYI, my arm is still showing signs of a hand print and stings a little from the Turtle Race this morning.
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the_zazzy
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 10:41amDutch Oven??? We’ve always called them covered wagons…what was this article about?
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Miguelito
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:10amOne of Obama’s trained hemorroids!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Noonien_Soong
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:32amThere needs to be millions of requests for waivers on Health Care and Emissions sent to the White House either by snail mail or email. Flood them with requests, they’ll fold under the weight
VegasGuy
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 12:24pmTime for someone to bring a class action lawsuit against this administration for violating equal protection under the law. It’s like all these laws were set up to tax only those who politically oppose the administration and give a pass to those who support Obama.
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tower7femacamp
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 12:58pmGE is like Cyberdyne Systems Corporation in the movie the terminator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberdyne_Systems
With this research the FAA and GE said they want to accomplish aviation first by completing the research to facilitate flight of an Unmanned Aircraft System with an FAA certified, trajectory-based flight management system. Such trajectory systems let aircraft fly from point-to-point rather than the zig-zag routes most commercial aircraft fly today. The system is a key component of the FAA NextGen flight management system.
The FAA also said this week it opened a new laboratory where scientists will use computer simulation technology explore how future systems such as unmanned aircraft and new navigation concepts will perform in the agency’s future airspace structure. As part of the research, GE is working with unmanned aircraft builder, AAI to demonstrate flights with its Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft.
http://www.eutimes.net/2010/06/spy-drones-planned-for-american-skies-next/
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paperpushermj
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 1:06pmLook Up CORPORATE CRONYISM
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tower7femacamp
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 1:35pmUnlike other Bush nominees, there was no opposition in the Senate to Chertoff heading DHS. The Senate voted 98-0 to approve Chertoff on February 15. Chertoff, 51, took the oath of office that night in “a private ceremony at the White House.”
DHS has a $32 billion budget, 180,000 employees, and jurisdiction over immigration, customs and transportation security, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The question of Chertoff’s dual-nationality doesn’t seem to have concerned a single U.S. senator.
http://www.erichufschmid.net/TFC/Bollyn-Chertoff_roots.html
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decendentof56
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 1:40pmTxcom’sense
He really meant ‘reward our enemies and punish our friends’. Like the 36.000 ‘new’ jobs created in Jan drove the unemployment #’s down from 9.4 to 9.0 plus is minus now. Geez, you’ll never get it.
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patriot4all
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 3:36pmHey old guy—insert Communist type politics and you’re dead on. He has to pay back all of his buyers oops! supporters AND AMERICA CAN GO TO HELL.
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watchtheotherhand
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 4:57pmI wonder where the national outrage and anger is at???? This guy is acting like a dictator passing laws that are ridiculous, unfair, and oppressive, but then handing out exemptions to all his buddies. This is how corrupt communist Russia acted and China for that matter. Goldman Sachs got a life preserver and Lehman Bros. got the axe all at the whim of some Goldman alumni that obtained comfy spots in the administration this crap is simply criminal and mafia like…..Where is the freakin’ outrage !!!!
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woodsdog
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 6:31pmHa ha ha You and the poor cows with gas ha ha ha
Unfortunately, I grew up in Chicago – and this is definitely ChiTown politics at its best (worst). I don’t live in the city anymore but still in Hellinois. I feel trapped by the devilcrats in this state and trapped by the devilcrats in Washington. Washington . . . maybe we should change the name. He must be saddened to see the city named for him now steeped in corruption and socialism.
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DisillusionedDaily
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 9:22pmWow! Let’s see…….GE gets an EPA mandate for everyone to but the flourescent bulbs it makes in China with a high prifit margin and shuts down it’s low margin Incandesant Bulb plant in Cleveland putting 3,600 workers on the street.
GE gets subsidies to develop wind farms with turbines it manufacturers in…….Oh, yeah…CHINA!
GE gets government financial subsidies to establish a solar energy feild in the southwest US with solar panels made in…….Ready for it?……..China!
I am beginning to see a pattern here……………………………
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jackrorabbit
Posted on February 4, 2011 at 11:12pmWhat else is new. The global climate change moves on, despite what American’s have to say about it.
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exdem
Posted on February 5, 2011 at 10:25amTransparent corruption. This administration is the most blatantly corrupt ever.I have an idea- lets all go gather outside the White House and protest until Marberek ask Obama to step down.
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silentwatcher
Posted on February 5, 2011 at 10:37amof course he exempted GE,,,,he has a newly hired GE CEO crony now working with him…whatever happened to ‘conflict of interest’ within the government positions?
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