WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler says President Barack Obama is wrong in his stand about taking action on climate change.

Obama on Tuesday described new initiatives to cut carbon emissions, in large part by reducing the nationwide usage of coal.

In response to Obama’s speech, Kelly issued a statement which said, “With so many Americans still out of work, ..... it is sad but not surprising to see the president take time to champion not new jobs but new laws that would kill jobs and make energy more expensive for families nationwide.

“Despite the hundreds of thousands of jobs derived from our nation’s coal industry, including more than 40,000 jobs in Pennsylvania, and the affordable energy it provides our communities, the White House’s climate adviser has shockingly declared that ‘a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.’

“Simply put, a war against coal is a war against hardworking Americans everywhere, and it’s a war this nation cannot afford.”

Gov. Tom Corbett also issued a statement calling Obama’s plan “not only a war on coal ... but also a war on jobs.”

The Republican governor says U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest level in two decades. He blames China and other countries for much of the growth in global carbon emissions.

Obama’s plan aims to reduce power-plant emissions of carbon dioxide, increase America’s reliance on natural gas and renewables and make trucks, homes and businesses more efficient.

The most ambitious part of the plan seeks to rein in one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide emissions: coal-fired power plants. Obama will direct the Environmental Protection Agency to create the first federal limits on these emissions, which trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere.

Obama also seeks to increase funding for clean energy research by 30 percent to $7.9 billion.

Here’s how the plan will likely affect companies and consumers:

4 Power plants account for 40 percent of the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, and most of those emissions come from burning coal.

To reduce these emissions, power companies will have to run coal plants less often, install equipment that captures carbon dioxide or shut down plants that become too expensive to operate.

The cost to make these changes is likely so great that utilities would instead generate more power with natural gas, nuclear, wind and solar power, which will become comparatively less expensive and more profitable.

4 By directing the Department of Interior to accelerate permits to clean energy developers who want to use public land, Obama will make it less expensive for companies to build wind, solar and geothermal energy projects.

4 Companies that install windows, insulation and heating and cooling systems stand to benefit from Obama’s plan, which will give homeowners and businesses incentives to invest in energy-efficiency improvements. While the upfront costs can be high, the long-term savings can be significant.

Obama also wants the EPA to develop new fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks, which are the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector after cars.

4 Homeowners and businesses will likely pay more for electricity because the nation will be relying less on coal, which has historically been the cheapest way to produce electricity.

But more efficient homes and appliances are helping reduce energy consumption, which will likely offset at least some of the higher costs.