Massachusetts and 25 other governments sue EPA over power plant carbon rules rollback

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined 25 other state and local governments in suing the EPA over its repeal of greenhouse gas limits for existing power plants. The coalition filed a petition for review in the D.C. Circuit and also sent the agency a notice of intent to sue over missing carbon rules for existing gas-fired plants, including peaker units that run during high demand. The EPA signed the repeal on September 14, and it takes effect November 16. The agency says the move saves the power sector $160 billion in compliance costs from 2026 through 2047. The states argue the EPA ignored the health and climate costs of leaving plants unregulated. A separate EPA proposal asserts the Clean Air Act gives the agency no authority to regulate power plant greenhouse gases, which would eliminate the remaining federal carbon standards for the sector if finalized. Power plants produce about one quarter of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, according to the attorney general's office. The legal challenge is one of several pending against the EPA's recent climate rollbacks, including the rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding for vehicle emissions.