EPA Seeks to Roll Back Power Plant Emission Rules

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by Administrator Lee Zeldin, has proposed rolling back Biden-era regulations that limit greenhouse gas and mercury emissions from power plants, reverting to the less stringent 2015 standards and repealing stricter 2024 limits. Zeldin argues these rollbacks are necessary to reduce economic burdens and ensure energy reliability by maintaining coal and natural gas as energy sources. Critics, including scientists and public health experts, warn that loosening these rules could increase premature deaths, cancer risk, and health harms, particularly for communities near affected plants. The proposals are part of a broader Trump administration push to support fossil fuel industries and may include efforts to strike down foundational climate science findings within the EPA. The administration has also targeted climate science communication, notably by gutting the Climate.gov content team, potentially undermining public access to climate information. Both the regulatory rollbacks and changes to climate communication have drawn criticism for endangering public health and disregarding established science.