The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to repeal rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the move will remove billions of dollars in industry costs and help unleash American energy. The rule change, which was proposed last year, could be announced as soon as Monday, according to two individuals familiar with the matter. This action marks a fundamental shift away from the climate change policies pursued by former Democratic Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, which frequently aimed to clean up industrial pollution in low-income and minority communities. The anticipated policy shift is expected to face immediate legal challenges and could also bar future administrations from regulating power plant greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA previously stated it would issue a finding that fossil fuel power plant emissions do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution, despite its own 2023 data showing that the power sector accounts for 31 percent of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. More than a dozen environmental and health organizations have already filed lawsuits against Zeldin and the EPA for rolling back fundamental pollution curbs enacted over the last two decades. The announcement is set to take place in Houston during a G20 ministerial meeting on energy abundance hosted by Zeldin, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. President Trump previously dismissed climate change as a con job and withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris climate accord for a second time. The deregulation effort aligns with Trump’s repeated pledge to make it easier for utility companies to supply electricity. Environmental advocates have strongly condemned the rollbacks, warning that dismantling national protections against climate pollution will harm public health and safety as communities face extreme weather and rising costs. Conversely, trade organizations representing the coal industry have praised the repeal, arguing that lifting the strict Biden-era rules will protect electrical grid reliability and shield consumers from surging electricity demands driven by artificial intelligence and data centers.
Source: cbsnews.com
