Trump's EPA has finalized a repeal of the Biden-era Carbon Pollution Standards for US power plants, the country's second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. The agency argues the Clean Air Act does not give it authority to require control technologies that are not adequately demonstrated, and it has also proposed removing every remaining GHG requirement for the sector. The move follows the earlier reversal of the 2009 endangerment finding, which was the legal basis for regulating climate pollution. Supporters of the repeal say it cuts compliance costs, with EPA claiming $310 billion in savings. Independent analyses point the other way. Resources for the Future estimates health damages from the rollback could reach $476 billion, and coal power is already more expensive for consumers than it was in 2021. Legal challenges are expected, and the rule change will make it harder for a future administration to restore federal climate limits on power plants.
