Court Says No to Halt on New Power Plant Emission Rules

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court decided not to delay a new rule from the federal government targeting carbon pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants. This rule was challenged by many states, mostly led by Republicans, and several industry groups. They asked the court to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule while it's being reviewed in a lower court. The rule wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the climate crisis. Power plants would have to cut emissions, possibly using technologies like carbon capture and storage. The EPA issued this rule under an environmental law called the Clean Air Act. This law gives the EPA power to reduce pollution. Two years ago, the Supreme Court limited the EPA's power to force a switch from coal to cleaner energy. The EPA believes the new rule is necessary because power plants contribute a lot to greenhouse gas emissions.

The rule wants coal plants to reduce emissions by 90% by 2038 and certain new gas plants by 2032. The EPA says the technology to do this is proven. However, challengers argue that it hasn't been shown to work at a large scale. Some states, like West Virginia, feel this is a way to force coal plants to close. The Supreme Court's earlier ruling in 2022 used a legal principle called the "major questions" doctrine. This makes the court look for clear authorization from Congress for actions with big societal impacts. The states and other challengers think the EPA's new rule goes against this principle. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit already denied requests to pause the regulation. It said the EPA's actions were within its authority. This case is going to be reviewed further in the court system.

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