What to know as EPA announces repeal of power plant emissions limits
The power industry is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it's repealing most of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limits for fossil fuel power plants, specifically coal and natural gas facilities, set during the Biden administration. The agency is also proposing the elimination of all other remaining GHG emissions for the power industry, saying there’s been "virtually no benefit" from those regulations.
The 2024 rules required existing coal-fired and new natural gas plants to cut 90% of their carbon pollution using technologies like carbon capture.
In its proposed rule, published in June 2025, the EPA argued that these power plants "do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution" or climate change because "the share of GHG emissions from the U.S. power sector, including CO2, to global concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere is relatively minor and has been declining over time."
The decision to repeal GHG limits comes despite the agency's own data showing the power industry is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 24% of U.S. GHG emissions, right behind the transportation sector. Globally, electricity and heat generation were responsible for 44% of CO2 emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
The Trump administration says the EPA doesn’t have the legal authority to regulate GHG emissions and that the Biden-era rules required technology that is unavailable or cannot meet the 90% requirement.
The administration cited its justification for proposing the repeal of the Endangerment Finding, the scientific and legal foundation for federal GHG regulations, in its decision to repeal the power plant standards, arguing that the agency can’t regulate GHGs for global impacts under the Clean Air Act and that the law’s definition of pollution doesn’t apply in this case.
The EPA says its decision to repeal the Biden-era standards will save $310 billion. If the remaining GHG standards were also eliminated, the industry and consumers would save another $370 million, the EPA said.
The EPA says the new rule applies only to GHG emissions and does not apply to regulations on other hazardous air pollutants.
“For over 15 years, the Obama and Biden administrations implemented a war on coal to destroy reliable and affordable energy. The Trump Administration has come in to protect American energy and to make sure you can afford to keep the lights on,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement. “Americans will see a decrease in electricity prices, but this is just the beginning. We are working to go even further so that American energy can be fully unleashed. Realizing the full potential of American energy means more jobs, lower prices, and a more prosperous America.”
Scientists worldwide and decades of research have found that human-produced greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of climate change and global warming. And the science on how greenhouse gases impact human health has only gotten more robust in recent years.
The United Nations has said that "health and the climate are inextricably linked, and today the health of billions is endangered by the climate crisis." And in 2023, the Fifth National Climate Assessment found that "climate changes are making it harder to maintain safe homes and healthy families; reliable public services; a sustainable economy; thriving ecosystems, cultures, and traditions; and strong communities."
Monday's decision follows a series of major regulatory rollbacks during President Trump’s second term, including the administration's effort to eliminate the landmark 2009 Endangerment Finding.
Environmental groups and climate experts quickly condemned the EPA’s decision, warning of potential adverse effects on human health.
Gina McCarthy, a former EPA Administrator during the Obama Administration and the current chair of the advocacy group America Is All, said in a statement that “Everyone will be affected by their actions, but the most vulnerable among us, our kids and grandkids, will suffer the most.”
“The Clean Air Act is clear: EPA has a statutory obligation to regulate significant sources of pollution that threaten public health, and power plants are among the largest sources in the country. State and local leaders will not stop fighting for that protection,” she added.
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions said recent policy changes could create uncertainty for businesses and investors, while arguing that clean energy development can support economic growth.
"The United States has already demonstrated that emissions reductions and economic growth can go hand in hand. Power-sector emissions have fallen dramatically since 2005, while innovation, investment, and new technologies have expanded the range of affordable options for producing reliable, cleaner electricity,” said Nathaniel Keohane, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
"What businesses and investors need most is a stable and predictable policy environment that supports long-term investment in technology innovation and energy infrastructure, “ Keohane added.
Decade-long process In August 2015, the Obama Administration EPA established the first nationwide limits on greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants under a rule known as the “Clean Power Plan.” This initiative aimed to position the U.S. as a leader in addressing climate change and to help fulfill international commitments to reduce carbon pollution. The rule required each state to submit a plan to the EPA outlining how it would meet the specified emission reduction targets for its power sector. However, in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the EPA's Clean Power Plan. The order responded to a request from several states, utilities, and other industry groups asking the high court to put the rule on hold while legal challenges were decided in a lower court. Then in March 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan final rule and eliminate other federal initiatives addressing climate change. Two years later, the EPA adopted the "Affordable Clean Energy" (ACE) rule to replace the Clean Power Plan. The U.S. Court of Appeals struck this down for the District of Columbia Circuit on Jan. 19, 2021. In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the Clean Power Plan, ruling that the EPA lacked authority under section 111 of the federal Clean Air Act to require existing power plants to shift generation from more polluting sources to less polluting sources as it had done in the Clean Power Plan. In April 2024, the Biden-EPA announced a suite of final rules to reduce pollution from fossil fuel-fired power plants to protect communities from pollution and improve public health. A year later, at the start of President Trump’s second term, EPA chief Lee Zeldin announced the EPA would reconsider the power-plant regulations put in place by the previous administration, saying the prior administration did not have the legal authority to enact the rules in the first place.
And in June 2025, the EPA proposed a draft rule repealing all greenhouse gas emissions standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants.
What happens next?
Environmental groups such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club have indicated they will challenge the EPA’s latest decision. They argue the action is unlawful because it ignores the agency’s obligations under the Clean Air Act to regulate pollutants that endanger public health and welfare.
“For the health of our families and good of our nation, this cannot stand. Ignoring the immense harm to the public from this power plant pollution is a clear violation of the Clean Air Act and of Supreme Court precedent. We will be seeing them in court, “ Meredith Hankins, federal climate legal director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.
These challenges would come on top of pending litigation from a coalition of state attorneys general, including those from California, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, as well as several environmental groups, regarding the EPA’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding.
The EPA says it will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed rule and allow for a 45-day public comment period.
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