In the eye of the storm: Exploring how montana and ohio are framing the debate about the clean power plan rule

Rulemaking is an integral component of environmental policy at both the federal and state level; however, the role states play in implementing federal rules is often overlooked. States frequently have to devise their own plans for implementation—subject of course to federal oversight—and this is the case with the new Clean Power Plan rule proposed in 2014 and finalized in 2015. This exploratory research examines the newspaper coverage of proposed Clean Power Plan rule in Montana and Ohio in an effort to surmise how these two states will proceed with implementation. To investigate these responses to the proposed rule, we utilize Nisbet’s (2010) framework for science-policy debates in the media to conduct a content analysis and identify the driving frames from the ten leading newspapers in each state. Our analysis concludes that although the leading frame in both states is economic development and competitiveness, Montana seeks a pathway forward, while Ohio wants a two-year freeze on renewable energy efforts. These findings suggest the rich potential for careful study of the importance of administrative processes at the state level and beyond.