US EPA has finalized a repeal of Biden era carbon pollution limits for coal and gas power plants, announced during a G20 energy meeting. The 2024 rules required up to 90% carbon dioxide reductions from existing coal plants and new gas plants, a target that effectively meant installing carbon capture. The agency also proposed a separate rule arguing it lacks authority to regulate greenhouse gases from the power sector, building on the earlier move to overturn the 2009 Endangerment Finding. Power generation accounts for roughly a quarter of US emissions. The EPA claims the repeal will save $310 billion and the proposed rule another $370 million, but critics question those figures. Environmental groups say they will sue, and legal experts point to contradictions between the two actions. For anyone tracking carbon markets or grid investment, this changes the federal picture even though state level clean energy policies remain in place.
