Overview
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it will repeal carbon-emissions limits applied to coal- and gas-fired power plants that were adopted during the prior administration. Alongside the repeal, the agency announced measures it says will prevent future climate-focused regulation of those electricity-generating facilities.
Policy intent and administration framing
The action is part of a broader effort by the current administration to unwind U.S. climate policy that officials say has constrained energy production. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the new measures, which include steps to block future regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, will permit the United States to construct new generating infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand.
Zeldin said at a press conference in Houston: "Americans have been demanding more common sense at federal agencies under President Trump’s leadership. That means cutting red tape so we can build new power-generating infrastructure." The administrator made the remarks while attending a gathering of G20 energy ministers in Houston, where officials are discussing energy security, expanding baseload power and regulatory efficiency.
Reactions and context cited by critics
Environmental organizations criticized the EPA announcement, saying the repeal would produce harm to the environment and to public health. The announcement comes against the backdrop of the electricity sector’s sizable contribution to domestic greenhouse gas emissions; the sector accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution, according to the information cited in the agency’s statement.
Regulatory history referenced
The administration had earlier, in June 2025, proposed rolling back rules created under the previous administration intended to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, mercury and other air pollutants from power plants. The current announcement advances the stated goal of removing those Biden-era emission limits and preventing the imposition of future climate-focused restrictions on the sector.
Implications highlighted in the announcement
EPA officials framed the action as a way to clear regulatory hurdles and facilitate additional power-generation projects to address growing electricity demand. Environmental advocates countered with concerns about environmental and public-health consequences tied to loosening emissions controls.
This article presents the EPA's announced regulatory changes, the administration's stated rationale for the move, and reactions noted at the time of the announcement.