The EPA under the Trump regime moved to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, a change expected to raise pollution levels nationwide
The repeal is expected to prevent tens of thousands of deaths’ worth of protection and billions of dollars in savings each year the rules would have been in effect, and could block future administrations from re-regulating
More than half of Connecticut’s electricity is generated using natural gas, leaving the state directly exposed to the rule change
The Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump regime moved to repeal rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, a change expected to benefit energy corporations and worsen air quality nationwide, according to the Associated Press.
The EPA announced the repeal on September 14. The rule, if it survives legal challenges, was expected to do more than allow additional pollution into the air. It was also expected to block future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, making the policies difficult to reimpose.
More than half of all energy in Connecticut, 56%, is generated using natural gas, according to the U.S. energy Information Administration. This shift is likely to significantly impact the environment in coming years should it withstand legal challenges.
The move follows a repeal proposal the Trump regime first put forward in 2025, targeting standards on emissions that often include pollutants such as carbon dioxide and mercury, The Guardian reported.
Environmental and public health groups oppose the EPA’s plans to repeal the rules, which would remove regulations on the power generation covering about one-quarter of all climate pollution. The EPA does not consider that to be a “significant contribution” to the problem of climate change, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, despite the U.S. power sector emitting more pollution than all but four nations in the world.
Last year, an Associated Press examination found that if the rules are repealed, they could eventually contribute to 30,000 more deaths and $275 billion in increased climate-related costs each year.
The EPA’s efforts to repeal the rule conflict with standing law, as at least three Supreme Court cases confirmed the EPA must regulate sources that contribute significantly to air pollution. The Trump regime has argued in other cases that the EPA has exclusive authority to regulate greenhouse gases, despite its effort here to claim the agency does not have that authority, the NRDC reported.
