The Environmental Protection Agency is positioned to formally repeal carbon pollution standards applicable to coal- and gas-fired power plants, according to multiple news reports. The announcement is expected to occur at the G20 energy ministers’ meeting in Houston, Texas, with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin leading the announcement.
The move represents the latest climate-related policy reversal under the current administration. Earlier, the Trump administration had proposed repealing regulations established under the previous administration that were designed to limit emissions of carbon dioxide, mercury, and other air pollutants from power plants. This week’s action will finalize elements of that earlier proposal while also introducing a separate rule to repeal the federal determination that greenhouse gases from power plants present a danger.
Environmental organizations have voiced strong opposition to the expected action. The Sierra Club’s chief program officer stated the organization intends to challenge the proposal through legal, congressional, and community-based efforts, characterizing it as reckless and dangerous. She framed the decision as contradictory to public interests, noting it would permit continued pollution while Americans face climate-related disasters and rising utility costs.
The proposed repeal would likely face legal challenges in the courts. If ultimately upheld, the rollback could significantly limit the capacity of future federal administrations to regulate climate emissions from the power sector. The electricity industry currently accounts for nearly a quarter of all US greenhouse gas emissions. The standards being repealed were projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons by 2047, according to climate analysis.
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