Twenty-one states sue EPA over repeal of power plant climate rules
The coalition says the rollback clears the way for millions of tons of additional greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas plants.
A coalition of 21 states, joined by several cities, sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Oct. 1 to challenge its repeal of greenhouse gas standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants.
State attorneys general filed the case in the federal appeals court for the District of Columbia Circuit. The states include New York, California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and the cities include Washington, Chicago, Denver and New York City.
The EPA argues the Clean Air Act does not give it authority to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants, and it estimates the repeal would save the power sector $95 billion to $160 billion over 20 years. The Biden administration had calculated that the rules would save $370 billion in climate and public health costs through 2047.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said the agency is "clearing the way for millions of additional tons of greenhouse gas emissions that will worsen extreme heat, deadly storms, flooding, and wildfires." Amy Laura Cahn, a special assistant attorney general for Massachusetts, said the repeal is "wrong on the law, wrong on the science."
The EPA declined to comment, saying it does not comment on pending litigation.
This brief is based on reporting by Lisa Sorg, published Oct. 2, 2026, in Inside Climate News. Read the original: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02102026/states-sue-epa-over-power-plant-pollution-rules/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
