Washington (Platts)--3Mar2011/601 pm EST/2301 GMT

Bipartisan legislation to stop the US Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and oil refineries was introduced Thursday in the House of Representatives.

Similar legislation was introduced by Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe in the US Senate, where 42 Republicans signed on as cosponsors.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, a Michigan Republican, the bill's chief sponsor, is expected to begin committee deliberations on the bill later in March.

Three Democrats cosponsored the House bill: Collin Peterson of Minnesota, Nick Rahall of West Virginia, and Dan Boren of Oklahoma. Peterson is the senior Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee and Rahall is the senior Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

"The EPA needs to be reined in," said Peterson. EPA regulation of energy sector GHG emissions "is the last thing we need when our economy is beginning to show signs of recovery," he added.

The bill would amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit EPA from promulgating regulation of seven specific greenhouse gases and any other substance subject to action under that law to address climate change.

The bill also would overturn EPA's rules to control GHG emissions from power plants and refineries that took effect January 2, the agency's "endangerment finding" that allowed it to proceed with the regulations and the mandatory GHG reporting rule. The bill would further quash pending efforts to set GHG performance standards for the energy sector.

The bill, however, would let stand the 2010 GHG rules for light-duty vehicles for model years 2012-2016.

The bill also would exempt state actions to regulate GHGs provided the state rules are not federally enforceable or part of federal law.

Rural electric cooperative, coal mining and manufacturing groups lauded the legislation.

"Both Chairman Upton and Senator Inhofe recognize that keeping electric bills affordable is essential as we restore our nation's diminished economic capacity, and we support their efforts," said Glenn English, CEO of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

"Enacting such legislation will take a bipartisan effort in Congress, and we urge members of both parties, in both the House and Senate, to work together to craft a plan that can garner the votes to pass and not simply treat this issue as a political football -- it is too important," he added.

EPA said the legislation would halt the agency's "common-sense steps" under existing law to fight air pollution.

The bill also would "prevent EPA from updating Clean Air Act standards to better direct investment toward the kinds of clean energy upgrades that create American jobs, provide American companies certainty and a level playing field, and make American companies more competitive," said agency spokesman Brendan Gilfillan.

--Cathy Cash, cathy_cash@platts.com

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