EPA to eliminate limits on climate pollution from power plants
The rule, which is expected to face immediate legal challenges, also could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, sources said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to rescind regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that burn coal and natural gas, according to an announcement expected on Monday. This move by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, a Republican, would remove significant costs for the energy industry and promote greater energy availability in the United States.
The rule change, proposed last year, marks a stark contrast to the climate policies of Democratic administrations, particularly those of President Biden and his predecessor Barack Obama, who prioritized addressing climate change and reducing industrial pollution, often in low-income and predominantly Black or Hispanic communities.
The proposed rule change could impede future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, potentially relegating such oversight to a thing of the past. However, the EPA has not yet confirmed the rule's status, and it is expected to face immediate legal challenges. The EPA announced last year that it would conclude that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants do not significantly contribute to dangerous air pollution, a decision based on data showing the power sector accounts for 31% of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.
The EPA's decision has drawn criticism from over a dozen environmental and health groups, which have filed lawsuits against Zeldin and the agency. Zeldin, alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, is scheduled to host a G20 ministerial meeting on energy abundance in Houston, Texas, where the rule change is anticipated to be announced.
The choice of location, while highlighting the state's role in the energy sector, may be perceived as an affront to international allies that have pursued environmentally friendly policies, a move that could be interpreted as a snub. Former President Trump, during his tenure, dismissed climate change as a "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world" and withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a deal aimed at curbing emissions.
His administration has championed "energy abundance" and emphasized U.S. energy independence, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, such as the ongoing Iran war, which continues to impact global fuel markets and drive prices above $4.31 per gallon.
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