On the heels of Senator John Kerry promising to produce in the next two weeks an energy and global warming bill that can pass the U.S. Senate, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, along with 12 other senators recently sent Majority Leader Harry Reid a letter urging him to ensure that the bill does not repeal Clean Air Act protections that require coal-fired power plants to meet modern standards for global warming pollution.

“We applaud Senators Whitehouse and Reed for fighting for a bill that will be effective in fighting global warming and building a clean energy economy. They are standing up against some of the most powerful special interests in Washington,” said Caitlin Seeley, Federal Field Associate for Environment Rhode Island.

The coal industry, electric utilities and other special interests have long pushed for what the letter calls a “massive loophole” for the nation’s fleet of aging, inefficient coal plants, where plants would have to meet an overall cap on pollution but would not be subject to smokestack-specific performance standards.

“Old, clunker coal plants are by far the nation’s largest source of global warming pollution. We can’t stop global warming or move to a 21st century clean energy economy until we hold these plants to modern pollution standards,” said Seeley.

The letter cautions that the “transition to clean energy could well be short-circuited if old and inefficient power plants continue to be favored in America’s electricity market. This would crowd out any sizable move to wind and solar power and other clean energy sources.” Instead, “The bill should require coal-fired power plants—old and new alike—to meet up-to-date performance standards for carbon dioxide that will complement an overall cap on emissions and move America to clean energy.”

The full list of senators who sent the letter include Senators Robert Menendez (NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Benjamin Cardin (MD), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Patrick Leahy (VT), Christopher Dodd (CT), Jeff Merkley (OR), Jack Reed (RI), Bernie Sanders (VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Barbara Boxer (CA), Ron Wyden (OR) and Al Franken (MN).