Overview
- The EPA announced on Monday at a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston that it has repealed most 2024 limits on carbon emissions from coal- and natural gas–fired power plants.
- Alongside the repeal, the agency published a companion proposal arguing that the Clean Air Act does not give it authority to regulate greenhouse gases from the power sector, which could block future federal rules if courts uphold that view.
- The EPA cited more than $300 billion in industry savings and said the change will help preserve grid reliability as electricity demand rises from data centers and other users.
- Environmental groups and a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general have vowed immediate lawsuits and legal experts expect prolonged court fights over both the repeal and the agency’s broader legal argument.
- The action follows the EPA’s earlier 2026 revocation of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and reverses a rule that would have required about 90% reductions at some plants; analysts warn it will raise greenhouse gases and other pollutants and will reshape U.S. climate policy and international signaling.