EPA Repeals Biden-Era Power Plant Emission Rules

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule on Monday repealing greenhouse gas emission standards for coal and natural gas power plants, a major rollback of a key Biden-era climate policy. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the action at a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston, stating it would save the power sector $310 billion in compliance costs and lower electricity prices for consumers. The repeal eliminates the 2024 Biden administration standards that required existing coal plants and new natural gas plants to capture 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2032. The EPA argued the rules were not achievable and would force plant retirements. "For over 15 years, the Obama and Biden administrations implemented a war on coal to destroy reliable and affordable energy," Zeldin said in a statement. "The Trump Administration has come in to protect American energy and to make sure you can afford to keep the lights on." Simultaneously, the EPA proposed a separate rule to strip all greenhouse gas authority for power plants, arguing it lacks jurisdiction under the Clean Air Act to regulate such emissions for climate change.