The Making of the Clean Power Plan
Former EPA Admin. Gina McCarthy explains how good public policy flows from good science
While President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord was met with worldwide condemnation, the United States is still, for the time being, on track to reduce emissions drastically in the coming decades thanks to one of the Obama administration’s signature accomplishments: the Clean Power Plan.
In this episode of PolicyCast, Gina McCarthy, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, explains what the Clean Power Plan is and how it came to fruition. She discusses why electric utilities actually wanted to agree to emissions standards, and how the EPA integrated their feedback, along with 4 million public comments, into the plan details. She also stresses the importance of using the best available science in developing good public policy.
HKS PolicyCast is the official podcast of Harvard Kennedy School, featuring weekly interviews with scholars and leading practitioners in public policy, leadership, and international affairs. It is hosted by filmmaker, writer, and policy wonk Matt Cadwallader.
