EPA Repeals Power Plant Carbon Rule, Delaying Coal Phaseout and Undermining Biden Climate Policy

The Trump administration has moved to repeal the Biden-era EPA rule that limited carbon emissions from power plants, removing the last major federal regulation aimed at speeding coal's decline. The rule gave utilities a choice: retire coal plants by the 2030s or install carbon capture. Its repeal removes that pressure, even as coal's share of US electricity has already fallen sharply due to cheap natural gas. The article notes that AI-driven electricity demand is pushing some utilities to extend coal plant life, with Southern Company delaying a Mississippi plant retirement into the 2030s. It also highlights the health and climate costs of continued coal use, including premature deaths and asthma cases. For carbon market watchers, the repeal signals weaker regulatory drivers for emissions reductions in the power sector, though market economics and state policies still play a role.