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United States

EPA faces comment-period fight over plan to repeal power plant greenhouse gas standards

The proposed repeal would end federal limits on power plant emissions, a change that affects utilities, states and companies planning long-term energy investments.

Photo: Pacific Legal Foundation

What happened

State attorneys general and national environmental groups asked the Environmental Protection Agency to extend the comment period on its proposal to eliminate power plant emissions standards as the period closed on Monday. bloomberglaw.com A coalition of state attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Letitia James said the agency should hold at least three more hearings on the rulemaking. bloomberglaw.com A coalition of 27 states, counties and cities, including California, formally opposed the agency's supplemental proposal to rescind its 2015 finding that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants endanger public health and welfare. ca.gov The supplemental proposal would eliminate and prevent regulation of these emissions. ca.gov A Kentucky coal producers' association joined a lawsuit supporting the agency's repeal of a 2024 emissions rule. Pacific Legal Foundation

Around it

The agency initially scheduled only one virtual public hearing, and later added a second day to its October hearing. bloomberglaw.com The 2015 finding, known as the Endangerment Finding for power plants, acknowledged that these emissions significantly contribute to climate change and triggered the agency's duty to set limits on them. ca.gov The agency proposed rescinding the finding on different grounds last year, at the same time it proposed repealing the previous administration's greenhouse gas standards for certain fossil fuel plants. ca.gov A Washington Post commentary examined the cost of putting the American clean-energy transition on hold. The Washington Post

Sources

  1. Pacific Legal FoundationKentucky coal producers’ association joins lawsuit supporting EPA’s repeal of 2024 emissions rule
  2. bloomberglaw.comState AGs Seek More Time to Respond to EPA Power Plant Rule (1)
  3. The Washington PostThe cost of putting America’s clean-energy transition on hold
  4. ca.govAttorney General Bonta Opposes Trump Administration’s Revised Attempt to Eliminate Climate Pollution Limits on Power Plants

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