'Unleash American energy': Trump moves to scrap Biden-era carbon limits on US coal & gas power plants

Trump’s latest climate rollback targets carbon emissions from US power plantsWhat is Trump changing? EPA says rollback will cut industry costsClimate and health groups push backA wider reversal of US climate policyThe Donald Trump administration is set to scrap Biden-era limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, marking another major rollback of US climate policy and removing restrictions that targeted a sector responsible for nearly a quarter of the country’s greenhouse gas pollution.The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to announce the final rule on Monday on the sidelines of a G20 energy ministers’ meeting in Houston, according to news agency AP.EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to unveil the changes as ministers discuss energy security, expanding baseload power and “regulatory efficiency”.The move would repeal rules introduced under former President Joe Biden in 2024 and could also seek to prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.The first part of the package is the repeal of Biden’s 2024 standards for greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired plants.Those rules required power plants to eliminate or sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions over time, with reductions of up to 90% under the standards. It will lead to more lost lives and suffering from intense heatwaves, drastic storms and destructive wildfires, just like those we’ve seen this summer,” Coulter said, according to Reuters.Vickie Patton, general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund, said dismantling protections against power-plant pollution would carry major costs for public health and safety.“Tearing down our national protections against climate pollution from power plants will have enormous costs for the health, safety and well-being of families across the country,” Patton said, according to AP.The Biden-era rules could prevent an estimated 30,000 deaths and save $275 billion each year they were in effect, based on an examination of previous EPA assessments and other research.The agency’s analysis also found that even a partial dismantling of the rules could lead to increased exposure to pollutants including smog, mercury, lead and fine particles, alongside higher greenhouse gas emissions.Trump has repeatedly rejected policies aimed at reducing human-caused climate change. “But I think on its face you can see the contradictions. So I’m certainly looking forward to seeing them in court.”The final rule is expected to provide a clearer picture of how far the Trump administration intends to go in restricting the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from the US power sector.

Source: Times of India September 14, 2026 16:17 UTC