Trump's EPA repeals pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants
The Trump administration is repealing EPA regulations that limited greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Officials argue the move will lower energy prices, while environmental groups warn of increased pollution and health risks.
Why it matters
This represents a significant reversal of U.S. climate policy, impacting long-term environmental goals and the transition to renewable energy.
The Trump administration is repealing limits on greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the nation's fossil fuel-fired power plants. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency called it the largest deregulatory action of the U.S. power sector in history.
This action eliminates rules the EPA finalized during the Biden administration that required existing coal and new natural gas-fired power plants to significantly reduce their carbon dioxide pollution, starting in the 2030s. Carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of global warming.
Power plants are the second largest source of planet-heating carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S ., behind transportation.
At a press conference on Monday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said that the actions to curtail planet-heating pollution under the Biden and Obama administrations led to higher energy prices and prevented the country from reaching its full energy potential.
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