The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to remove major climate regulations governing emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, in another rollback of environmental policies introduced under former President Joe Biden.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency would also pursue measures aimed at preventing future administrations from imposing similar requirements on the power sector.
The EPA said eliminating most of the Biden-era regulations could save about $310 billion and help reduce energy costs.
The agency argued that the previous rules went beyond its legal authority and imposed requirements that could force some power plants to shut down rather than meet the prescribed emissions standards.
Zeldin said the changes would support affordable and reliable energy while reducing costs for transportation, heating, electricity, agriculture and manufacturing.
However, environmental organisations strongly criticised the decision and warned that weakening emissions controls could have serious consequences for public health and efforts to tackle climate change.
Nathaniel Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, described the move as a major setback, arguing that the EPA had ignored scientific and economic evidence in removing carbon pollution standards.
The Biden administration’s regulations were designed to significantly cut carbon emissions from power plants, vehicles and industrial facilities. The measures had been projected to prevent about 4,500 premature deaths each year.
The EPA rejected that assessment, saying potential health effects linked specifically to the US power sector were too uncertain to justify the regulations. Zeldin added that existing protections covering hazardous air pollutants would remain in place.
The US is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, while its electricity sector accounts for roughly one-quarter of the country’s emissions, producing about 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
US power-sector emissions have generally declined over the past two decades, largely because coal consumption has fallen. President Donald Trump, however, has repeatedly advocated for greater use of coal and criticised renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The latest policy shift follows other moves by Trump’s administration to reverse climate-related measures. Earlier this year, the EPA also moved against a longstanding scientific determination that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health.
The new changes are expected to face legal challenges and will undergo public review before they can take effect.
