Here’s What the Science Really Says About the Health and Climate Risks of Carbon Pollution

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the repeal of carbon pollution rules for coal- and gas-powered plants. This decision comes after the Trump Administration argued that emissions from power plants have "no material impact on global climate change" and that health harms are too uncertain to link to the U.S. power sector. However, scientific evidence overwhelmingly contradicts this claim, showing that cutting pollution has numerous benefits for human and environmental health.

The U.S. power sector is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, with 2024 data indicating that it emitted 1,427 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the second-largest source of emissions in the country. If the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the sixth-largest emitter globally.

The EPA's move to repeal these regulations coincides with warnings from the United Nations that the world is on track to exceed the 1.5°C warming goal set to limit global warming. The repeal of power plant pollution limits is part of the Trump Administration's broader efforts to roll back federal climate regulations. In February, the EPA also repealed the endangerment finding, a 2009 ruling that provided a legal basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and eased restrictions on hydrofluorocarbons, chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioning.

Experts warn that the repeal of power plant pollution limits would result in thousands of premature deaths and billions of dollars in increased health costs. Fine particulate air pollutants from coal-fired power plants are associated with a mortality risk more than double that of exposure to PM2.5 from other sources. Communities located near power plants, often lower-income, face a higher risk of health impacts such as asthma, cancer, and heart and lung disease.

While the EPA claims that health impacts are "uncertain," scientific evidence shows that these pollutants cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, exacerbate asthma, and are linked to increased deaths and emergency room visits. Communities near power plants are particularly vulnerable to these health effects. Moreover, worsening carbon dioxide emissions exacerbate climate change, leading to extreme weather events that have detrimental health impacts, including injuries, deaths, disrupted access to medical care, mental health issues, and indirect impacts on access to clean water and healthy food.