by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
‘The Biden-Harris Administration’s anti-coal regulations sought to regulate out of existence this vital sector of our energy economy’
The Trump EPA is finalizing the repeal of 2024 Biden-era carbon rules for greenhouse-gas standards for coal-and natural-gas-fired power plants. The move is expected to be announced today at a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston, Texas.
The EPA just announced that with the full repeal, the change would eliminate more than $300 billion in projected industry regulations and give utilities more flexibility to keep existing plants running rather than retire them or install carbon-capture systems, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The Trump EPA officially rolled back multiple Biden-era rules affecting coal-fired power plants back in February, with two of the most significant actions being the finalized Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, “MATS” repeal and the carbon-greenhouse gas standards repeal expected today.
The change dropped tighter limits on mercury, especially for lignite plants, often called brown coal, filterable particulate matter, and the requirement for continuous emissions monitoring systems. EPA estimated about $670 million in savings.
According to Bloomberg’s Energy Connects, the 2024 Biden carbon standards for existing coal plants and new gas plant rules would have required major emissions cuts, with coal plants facing a 2039 deadline to capture most CO2 or close.
