EPA greenhouse gas rollback for power plants: Texas coal, natural gas, and emissions impact

The EPA has rolled back Biden-era greenhouse gas limits for power plants, a move announced in Houston during the G20 energy conference. The change removes federal carbon dioxide rules for coal and natural gas plants, and the agency has proposed dropping the remaining GHG standards entirely. EPA estimates the rollback will save $310 billion over roughly 20 years, but environmental groups warn that longer-running coal plants could boost air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Texas, which already leads the country in power plant carbon output. Texas stands to be a central testing ground. The rollback could make natural gas more competitive with wind and solar, and it may keep older coal plants running by removing costly carbon capture requirements. That also means continued emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and heavy metals, especially around Houston, home to the state's largest coal plant in Fort Bend County. The outcome depends on how Texas regulators and grid operators respond to continued electricity demand growth.