{
  "id": 7409493,
  "title": "At G20 summit, US unravels power plant climate rules",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/at-g20-summit-us-unravels-power-plant-climate-rules-7409493",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T21:48:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/09/15/at-g20-summit-us-unravels-power-plant-climate-rules"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United States government has recently abolished limits on carbon emissions from coal and gas-powered plants, a move that comes as climate experts warn of increasingly frequent extreme weather events. This decision, made during a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston, reverses policies initiated by the Biden administration and extends the rollback to future regulations on the power sector, which accounts for about a quarter of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the administration's actions aim to safeguard affordable energy for Americans.\n\nEnvironmentalists have vowed to challenge the ruling, condemning it as a setback for climate protection policies and a boon for the fossil fuel industry. The recent heatwave, marked by the hottest recorded month globally and an unusually scorching summer in the US, underscores the urgency of addressing climate change. The primary cause of global warming is the combustion of fossil fuels, and this year, human-induced warming is exacerbated by an intense El Nino weather pattern.\n\nThe administration has rescinded 2024 Biden-era standards, which sought to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants by up to 90% and from new gas plants. The EPA deemed these standards unattainable and set deadlines too tight. Additionally, the agency proposed a broader rule arguing that the EPA lacks the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, claiming that efforts would be ineffective in combating global climate change. This decision follows the February overturn of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which had linked greenhouse gases to public health and welfare threats.\n\nCritics have expressed skepticism towards the reported savings of $310 billion and $370 million, with legal experts pointing out contradictions in the EPA's own technical repeal. Trump has historically dismissed human-induced climate change as a \"hoax,\" opposing the Paris climate accord and eliminating vehicle tailpipe emissions standards. Meredith Hankins of the Natural Resources Defense Council anticipates legal challenges, noting the apparent contradictions in the final rule.",
  "summary": "The proposed changes seek to prevent future regulations on the power sector, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Trump guts climate rules for coal and gas power plants",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/trump-guts-climate-rules-for-coal-and-gas-power-plants",
        "published": "2026-09-14T20:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "Trump throws out power plant climate pollution rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/trump-throws-out-power-plant-climate-pollution-rules",
        "published": "2026-09-14T20:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "At G20 summit, US unravels power plant climate rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/at-g20-summit-us-unravels-power-plant-climate-rules",
        "published": "2026-09-14T20:49:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "At G20 summit, US unravels power plant climate rules",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/at-g20-summit-us-unravels-power-plant-climate-rules-7409868",
        "published": "2026-09-14T21:48:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}