The Trump administration has announced plans to repeal climate regulations enacted under the Biden administration that limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, aiming to ease restrictions on electricity generation from natural gas and coal. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that the existing rules, which require power plants to adopt technologies such as carbon capture and storage to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, overstep the agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin criticized the previous regulations during a speech at a G20 energy meeting in Houston, arguing that in a global context, emissions from U.S. power plants represent a negligible impact and should not be singled out. He emphasized that the U.S. produces energy more efficiently and with cleaner technology than other countries. The agency projected that scrapping the rules could save more than $300 billion.
The decision marks a shift in U.S. environmental policy, as the Trump administration continues its efforts to rollback regulations introduced by the Obama and Biden administrations. Aaron Szabo, assistant administrator at the EPA, framed the move as ending efforts to curb coal and natural gas industries that he claimed were harmful to American businesses and farmers due to higher electricity costs.
Trump, who has expressed skepticism about climate change, has already dismantled multiple environmental protections during his second term, including standards for vehicle emissions, household appliances, and the “endangerment finding,” a scientific determination that greenhouse gases pose risks to public health and welfare.
While the repeal targets greenhouse gases, some environmental protections remain intact, including regulations on mercury, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides emissions. State-level rules will also continue to apply. This policy change is part of a broader strategy to bolster U.S. electricity production through fossil fuels, particularly natural gas and coal. Natural gas currently accounts for just over 40% of the U.S. electricity fuel mix, while coal’s share has fallen to below 20% amid environmental and economic pressures.
Experts note that coal generates roughly twice as much carbon dioxide per unit of electricity as natural gas, which itself produces more emissions than renewable sources such as solar, wind, and nuclear power.
Environmental groups condemned the announcement, with Meredith Hankins, federal climate legal director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, warning that loosening regulations will enable significant increases in pollution, with detrimental consequences for public health and the environment. She signaled intentions to legally challenge the move.
In addition to regulatory changes, the Trump administration has sought to extend the operational life of coal-fired power plants, issuing orders to prevent plant closures beyond scheduled retirement dates. However, a federal appeals court recently ruled that one such directive, aimed at keeping a Michigan coal plant open, was unlawful.