Environmental and public health organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and American Public Health Association, have filed legal challenges against the Trump administration’s proposal to repeal greenhouse gas standards for power plants, arguing the action would threaten public health and the environment.
The Biden-era EPA rule in question requires coal plants to either deploy carbon capture technology or close by 2032, while new natural gas facilities must install carbon capture systems or operate at reduced capacity. In Georgia, the rule initially prompted Georgia Power, the state’s largest utility, to plan the retirement of its coal plants in a 2022 assessment. However, the company’s plans shifted following Trump’s election to a second term. More than a year ago, Georgia Power obtained approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission to postpone retiring two coal plants, extending operations at one unit of Plant Scherer near Macon and three units at Plant Gaston in Alabama. In 2024, Plant Scherer emitted over 8 million tons of carbon dioxide, while Plant Gaston emitted more than 2 million tons.
During resource planning hearings in 2025, Georgia Power officials disclosed that the company evaluated nine different planning scenarios to account for regulatory uncertainty, with six scenarios assuming the rule would not remain in effect. The utility is currently constructing significant new natural gas generation capacity to meet rising electricity demand from data centers. According to clean energy advocates, without EPA restrictions, emissions from these new gas turbines could more than double compared to levels allowed under the Biden-era rules, potentially reaching 8.5 million tons annually instead of approximately 4 million tons.
The EPA rule change has not yet been finalized. A public comment period remains, and multiple groups have filed lawsuits seeking to block the repeal. Southern Company, Georgia Power’s parent company, declined to provide detailed responses but stated it supports “regulatory certainty with a durable framework that leads to reliable and affordable electricity for our customers.”
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