As the Environmental Protection Agency reveals sweeping plans to dismantle years of climate regulations, a full-blown rebellion is brewing across multiple states. The June 17 announcement proposing to repeal both Obama-era and Biden-era emission standards for power plants has ignited a firestorm. Not exactly a shocker.
At the heart of EPA’s rollback is a dramatic reinterpretation claiming fossil fuel power plants don’t “significantly contribute” to greenhouse gas emissions. Yeah, you read that right. The same power plants pumping millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere apparently aren’t a big deal anymore.
EPA now claims power plants spewing carbon aren’t climate culprits. Science apparently got a rewrite overnight.
The proposal would eliminate regulations requiring carbon capture and storage for coal and gas plants starting in 2032. Administrator Lee Zeldin is practically giddy, calling it “the greatest day of deregulation in US history.” The champagne must be flowing at coal company headquarters.
EPA projects $54 billion in annual savings nationwide. Great news for industry! Not so much for the planet. The rollback responds directly to Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” which basically ordered agencies to find regulations to kill.
Even more alarming, the EPA is challenging the 2009 Endangerment Finding that linked greenhouse gases to public health risks. This finding forms the entire legal foundation for climate regulation under the Clean Air Act. Knock it down, and the whole house of cards collapses. The EPA is questioning its authority under the major questions doctrine, arguing the Clean Air Act lacks sufficient statutory support for such far-reaching regulations.
States aren’t taking this lying down. Multiple lawsuits have already been filed. California, New York, and other blue states are mobilizing environmental agencies and attorneys general to fight the rollbacks. They argue the EPA is violating the Clean Air Act and abandoning its core mission.
The public comment periods are open until September 15 for the Endangerment Finding reconsideration, with virtual public hearings scheduled for August 19 and 20. But let’s be real – this isn’t about gathering public input. It’s about dismantling climate policy. Period.
Meanwhile, states are preparing their own emission standards, creating a patchwork of regulations that industry may eventually find even more challenging than federal oversight. This pattern follows the familiar disconnect where political leaders simultaneously discuss climate concerns while actively undermining environmental protections. Ironic, isn’t it?
References
- https://www.freshlawblog.com/2025/08/07/epa-initiates-greenhouse-gas-emissions-rollback-a-new-battle-begins/
- https://www.kirkland.com/publications/kirkland-alert/2025/08/epa-proposes-changes-to-air-emissions-rules
- https://www.jw.com/news/insights-epa-proposed-rollback-climate-power-plant-regulations/
- https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-proposal-rescind-obama-era-endangerment-finding-regulations-paved-way
- https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-launches-biggest-deregulatory-action-us-history
- https://nzero.com/article/epa-policy-revisions-in-2025-scope-stakeholders-and-implications/
