EPA to Scrap Power-Plant CO2 Limits, Targeting No. 2 U.S. Emissions Source
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14
EPA to Scrap Power-Plant CO2 Limits, Targeting No. 2 U.S. Emissions Source
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 14
Summary
The Trump administration plans to announce Monday that U.S. power plants will no longer face federal limits on climate pollution from coal- and gas-fired generation.
The EPA move, expected from Administrator Lee Zeldin at a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston, would cap the administration’s rollback of major Biden- and Obama-era climate rules.
Legal challenges are expected, but if the policy survives, it could make it harder for future administrations to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants.
Power generation is the second-largest U.S. source of greenhouse gases; environmentalists and energy experts say the sector alone would rank as the world’s fifth-largest climate polluter if treated as a country.
U.S. Climate Policy in Reverse: The 2025–2026 EPA Rollbacks and Their National and Global Fallout
Overview
The report traces how the Trump administration's 2025–2026 EPA rollbacks dismantled federal climate protections by revoking power plant carbon standards and the 2009 endangerment finding, creating a regulatory void. This shift, justified by a narrow legal reading and economic arguments, led to a patchwork of conflicting state rules and triggered a wave of lawsuits. Federal intervention stalled coal plant retirements, raising emissions and costs for consumers, while slashed clean energy funding left vulnerable communities unsupported. Internationally, the U.S. lost credibility by exiting climate agreements, risking economic disadvantages as global partners impose carbon tariffs and outpace American innovation.