Warsaw Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce are encouraging Hoosiers to take action during the comment period for the Environmental Protection Agency’s new coal regulations, which will cause energy bills to soar.

The EPA’s recent directive to strictly limit carbon emissions for new power plants will be expensive to comply with and it will raise energy bills for all consumers. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the resulting cost increase could be as much as 80 percent in electric power rates.

Indiana will be hit far harder than most states because it’s the number one per capita manufacturing state in the nation. And, over 80 percent of Indiana’s electric power comes from coal (compared to nearly 45 percent for the country).

Adding to the problem, the EPA has announced plans to release another regulation for existing coal-fueled power plants in June of this year that will have even more drastic impact on Indiana.

The recently extended comment period for the proposed new regulations runs through Friday, May 9. Residents are encouraged to tell the EPA what soaring energy bills will do to households.

Comments to the EPA can be made easily through the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s grassroots website.