EPA Proposes Repeal of Biden-Harris EPA Regulations for Power Plants, Which, If Finalized, Would Save Americans More than a Billion Dollars a Year
Breaking down barriers to affordable, dependable energy for American families
WASHINGTON – Today, alongside U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY-02), U.S. Representatives Troy Balderson (R-OH-12), Carol Miller (R-WV-01), Dan Meuser (R-PA-09), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-08), and Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced two proposals in an important step towards ensuring affordable, dependable energy for American families and restore American energy dominance. EPA is proposing to repeal all “greenhouse gas” emissions standards for the power sector under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and to repeal amendments to the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) that directly result in coal-fired power plants having to shut down. These Biden-era regulations have imposed massive costs on coal-, oil-, and gas-fired power plants, raising the cost of living for American families, imperiling the reliability of our electric grid, and limiting American energy prosperity.
“Affordable, reliable electricity is key to the American dream and a natural byproduct of national energy dominance,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “According to many, the primary purpose of these Biden-Harris administration regulations was to destroy industries that didn't align with their narrow-minded climate change zealotry. Together, these rules have been criticized as being designed to regulate coal, oil and gas out of existence.”
Ensuring affordable and reliable energy supplies drives down the costs of transportation, heating, utilities, farming, and manufacturing while boosting our national security. Coal and natural gas power plants are essential sources of baseload power that are needed to fuel manufacturing and turn the United States into the Artificial Intelligence capital of the world. The proposed repeals would remove regulatory barriers that limit access to our Nation’s energy resources and unleash America’s true potential.
Proposal to repeal Obama and Biden Administrations’ regulations on power plants
EPA is proposing to repeal the 2015 emissions standards for new fossil fuel-fired power plants issued during the Obama-Biden Administration, and the 2024 rule for new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants issued during the Biden-Harris Administration.
The first Clean Power Plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2022. Many have voiced concerns that the last administration’s replacement for that rule is similarly overreaching and an attempt to shut down affordable and reliable electricity generation in the United States, raising prices for American families, and increasing the country’s reliance on foreign-made energy.
In West Virginia v. EPA, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the major questions doctrine barred EPA from misusing the Clean Air Act to manipulate Americans’ energy choices and shift the balance of the nation’s electrical fuel mix. The Biden Administration issued its own rule in 2024, which many critics say is just another attempt to achieve the unlawful fuel-shifting goals of the Clean Power Plan.
Unlike other air pollutants with a regional or local impact, the targeted emissions are global in nature. As a result, any potential public health harms have not been accurately attributed to emissions from the U.S. power sector. In light of this, EPA is proposing that the CAA requires the agency to make a finding that the targeted emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants significantly contribute to dangerous air pollution before regulating these emissions from this source category. In addition, EPA is proposing that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants do not contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution within the meaning of the statute.
As an alternative, EPA is proposing to repeal the most burdensome set of requirements issued for new and existing fossil fuel-fired steam generating units—specifically, the emission guidelines for existing power plants, and carbon capture and sequestration/storage-based requirements for new combustion turbines and modified coal plants. As part of this alternative proposal, EPA is taking comment on the efficiency-based requirements for new natural gas power plant requirements.
Based on EPA’s estimates, this proposal would save the power sector $19 billion in regulatory costs over two decades beginning in 2026, or about $1.2 billion a year.
Read more about this action in the Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants Rule Proposal.
Proposal to repeal certain amendments to the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards
EPA is also proposing to repeal certain amendments issued on May 7, 2024, to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units – a rule commonly known as the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for power plants, or simply MATS. This proposal would revert back to 2012 standards that have driven sharp reductions in harmful air toxic pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants.
The 2024 MATS rule has caused significant regulatory uncertainty, especially for coal plants in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. $1.2 billion over the next decade starting in 2028, or about $120 million a year for the power sector. These costs are large and unnecessary given the success the industry has already achieved in reducing emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants.
This action proposes to relieve all facilities of the more stringent filterable particulate matter (PM) emission standard for coal-fired EGUs, the tighter mercury standard for lignite-fired EGUs, and the requirement to use PM Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS).
The original MATS Rule was promulgated in 2012 and has since been highly effective in protecting public health and the environment. Specifically, 2021 mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants were 90 percent lower than pre-MATS levels. Since 2010, acid gas hazardous air pollutant emissions have been reduced by over 96 percent, and emissions of the non-mercury metals – including nickel, arsenic, and lead – have been reduced by more than 81 percent.
This proposed action would enhance efforts to Restore American Energy Dominance by removing costly burdens on coal- and oil-fired power plants while still accomplishing the EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment.
EPA estimates that this proposed repeal of the 2024 MATS Amendments would save $1.2 billion in regulatory costs over a decade, or about $120 million a year.
Read more about this action in the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule Proposal.
Background
On March 12, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a number of historic actions to advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback. He announced the agency would be reconsidering the Biden-Harris Administration’s regulations on power plants, commonly known as “Clean Power Plan 2.0” and MATS from the Biden-Harris Administration that drew a lawsuit from 23 states. Combined, these announcements represent the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in the history of the United States. While accomplishing EPA’s core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions.