The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it is scrapping emissions limits for coal and gas power plants. The agency says the Biden-era rules exceeded its authority and would have forced plants to retire. It also plans to block future administrations from regulating greenhouse gases from the power sector. Legal challenges are expected. The power sector accounts for roughly a quarter of US emissions, about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year. The EPA argues the rules were too strict and would raise energy costs, but environmental groups say this ignores public health and climate risks. The move follows earlier rollbacks, including reversing the 2009 endangerment finding. While US power sector emissions have been declining due to cheaper renewables and natural gas, this policy could slow that trend. However, many utilities have already committed to clean energy on cost grounds alone, so the practical impact on grid decarbonization remains uncertain.
