The EPA repeals power plant rules that limited greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired facilities, a move the agency chief described as the largest deregulatory step in the U.S. power sector to date.
The decision overturns regulations finalized under President Joe Biden that would have required existing coal plants and new natural gas plants to make steep cuts to carbon dioxide beginning in the 2030s. Carbon dioxide from human activity is the primary driver of global warming, and power generation is the nation’s second-largest source of the pollution, behind transportation, according to federal data.
At a Monday press conference in Houston, where the United States is hosting the G20 Energy Summit, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin argued that climate rules under the Biden and Obama administrations contributed to higher energy costs and constrained domestic energy potential. “The days of Biden and Obama working to destroy natural gas and coal are over,” Zeldin said. He added that the EPA is proposing to rescind all remaining greenhouse gas standards for power plants.
Clean energy advocates counter that large solar and wind projects now deliver electricity at prices competitive with or below natural gas and coal, according to analysis from financial firm Lazard. Environmental groups warned that repealing the limits would increase health-harming air pollutants in communities near power plants. The Southern Environmental Law Center said the rules were vital for protecting both the climate and public health, and groups plan to challenge the rollback in court.
Power plant regulations that never happened
The legal foundation for federal limits on climate pollution from power plants traces to the Supreme Court’s 2007 Massachusetts v. EPA ruling, which affirmed the agency’s duty under the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases. That decision led to the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding that formally recognized greenhouse gases as a threat to human health.
In 2014, the Obama administration unveiled the Clean Power Plan, targeting a 32% reduction in power plant carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Courts blocked the plan before it took effect. Even so, the United States ultimately met that target early as coal generation declined, replaced by natural gas and growing renewable output.
In 2019, the Trump administration replaced the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which allowed more climate pollution from power plants. Biden took office in 2021 with a goal to eliminate power sector climate pollution by 2035.
The Supreme Court in 2022 limited the EPA’s approach, ruling that without explicit authorization from Congress the agency could not require a shift across the entire power sector away from fossil fuels. In response, the EPA focused its Biden-era rules on standards for individual plants, a strategy supporters believed would withstand judicial review. The current administration is now scrapping those limits altogether.
Scientists say last month was the hottest on record globally, driven by human-caused climate change and a developing El Niño pattern. Michael Gerrard, a Columbia University law professor and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, said the repeal comes as the world needs to be cutting emissions, not raising them. He warned that 2026 is on track to be the warmest year in recorded history.
EPA repeals power plant rules and what it means for Hawaii
Hawaii shuttered its last coal plant on Oahu in 2022 and continues to expand renewables, but the reversal could still affect energy markets, federal climate progress, and air quality on the mainland that influences broader climate impacts across the Pacific. State leaders and utilities are likely to watch the legal battle closely as the islands work toward 100% renewable energy under Act 97 and related mandates.
Scientists say last month was the hottest on record globally, a trend echoed in reporting that August ties as the hottest month on record worldwide, underscoring concerns about rising temperatures. The EPA’s retreat from stricter power plant rules may complicate efforts by states and countries to meet their climate goals.
As energy systems evolve, comparisons are increasingly made with international experiences, such as when Australia gas generation drops 67% during evening peak, illustrating how rapidly grids can change under different policy choices.
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