Trump EPA to repeal emissions regulations of fossil-fuel power plants

The head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, has announced the scrapping of rules aimed at limiting pollution from coal and gas power plants. The EPA claims that eliminating most of these Biden-era rules will save $310bn and result in lower energy prices. Zeldin maintains that America's energy production is already superior and cleaner than any other nation, and these plants should not face unfair targeting.

However, this decision has drawn criticism, with some arguing it will harm public health and hinder progress on renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels like coal and natural gas are the primary contributors to global climate change, according to the United Nations. The EPA states that the rules introduced under former President Joe Biden exceeded its authority by requiring unproven control technologies, forcing plants to retire instead of setting manageable standards.

The agency is also eliminating all other greenhouse gas rules for the power sector. Proposed last year by Zeldin, these changes aim to ensure affordable and reliable energy while boosting national security. The Biden-era regulations targeted a significant reduction in carbon emissions from power plants, vehicles, and industrial facilities, potentially preventing 4,500 premature deaths annually.

Zeldin asserts that any potential public health risks are too uncertain to link specifically to the US power sector. Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, describes the move as "a giant step backward," arguing that the EPA has ignored sound science and economics in abdicating its responsibility to safeguard public health and welfare.

The US ranks second globally in emitting greenhouse gases, behind China, with the power sector accounting for about a quarter of US emissions. However, US power sector emissions have been generally decreasing over the past two decades, albeit with a slight increase last year due to falling coal use. Despite Trump's previous advocacy for a resurgence in coal power and criticism of renewables, the impact of this decision on US emissions and global climate change remains uncertain.

Some researchers question whether coal will ever recover, citing the rapid decline in the costs of clean technologies like solar power over the past decade. The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the EPA lacked authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions across states, affecting some of its powers to combat climate change. This announcement follows President Trump's administration's recent efforts to roll back policies aimed at combating global warming and climate change.

In February, the EPA reversed a landmark Obama-era scientific ruling that greenhouse gases posed a threat to public health, challenged by several states and local governments.