US scraps limits on emissions from coal and gas power plants
The US Environmental Protection Agency has scrapped rules limiting pollution from coal and gas power plants, aiming to save $310bn.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- The EPA has scrapped rules aimed at limiting pollution from coal and gas power plants.
- The agency claims the move will save $310bn and reduce overall energy prices.
- Environmental groups warn the decision will cause huge costs to public health and the planet.
- The US power sector accounts for about a quarter of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the termination of rules designed to limit pollution from coal and gas power plants. The agency also stated it will implement measures to prevent future administrations from regulating power plant emissions.
According to the EPA, discarding the majority of climate regulations established during President Joe Biden's era will save 310 billion dollars, equivalent to 223 billion pounds, while lowering energy prices. Conversely, environmental organisations have warned that this rollback will severely impact Americans' health and the global climate, with immediate legal challenges anticipated.
Lee Zeldin, the head of the EPA, stated on Monday that America produces energy better and cleaner than anywhere else globally and that its power plants should not be unfairly targeted. He argued that previous regulations demanded control technologies that were inadequately demonstrated, effectively forcing plants to retire.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
"In repealing carbon pollution standards for power plants, EPA has ignored sound science and economics and abdicated its responsibility to protect public health and welfare,"
Nathaniel Keohane, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
The United States remains the second-largest emitter of planet-warming greenhouse gases globally, trailing only China. The power sector alone accounts for approximately a quarter of US emissions, generating roughly 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent annually, which exceeds the total emissions of all but a few nations.
This announcement marks the latest effort by President Donald Trump's administration to dismantle policies established to combat global warming. Nevertheless, various researchers continue to question whether coal can stage a genuine resurgence given the steep declines in the costs of clean technologies like solar power over the past decade.
Source: BBC Science & Environment
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