U.S. to Revoke EPA Power to Regulate Emissions
The Trump administration is set to formally rescind the 2009 EPA endangerment finding, a scientific determination that greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, threaten public health and welfare. The announcement was confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said President Donald Trump will join EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to formalize the repeal.
The endangerment finding provides the legal basis under the Clean Air Act for federal regulation of emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other major sources. Its elimination would strip the EPA of authority to regulate greenhouse gases based on climate change concerns, potentially rolling back a decade of federal climate policy.
The administration claims the move will reduce costs for Americans, projecting $1.3 trillion in regulatory savings and more than $2,400 per new vehicle. Trump has framed the repeal as the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, and the administration is also planning actions to expand coal-fired electricity procurement for the Defense Department.
Environmental and public health groups condemned the decision. Earthjustice and Climate Power warned that the repeal endangers public health, undermines climate protections, and ignores decades of scientific research. Legal challenges are expected. Industry supporters, including the Texas Vegetable Association, argued that the rollback reduces costs and eases regulatory burdens.
The repeal is expected to have a major impact on the power sector, slowing the adoption of renewable energy, increasing reliance on coal and gas-fired plants, and introducing uncertainty for long-term energy planning. The move marks a pivotal shift in U.S. climate policy and is likely to trigger legal battles over the EPA’s authority.
