The Supreme Court has provisionally allowed the Biden administration's Environmental Protection Agency to enforce limits on carbon emissions from power plants, despite ongoing legal challenges from Republican-led states.
Abbie VanSickle reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- The Supreme Court's temporary ruling permits the EPA to push forward with emission limits while the case proceeds in lower courts.
- The EPA aims to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants by 90% by 2032, a move aligned with Biden’s climate goals.
- Republican-led states argue the rule oversteps federal authority and could harm the coal industry.
Key quote:
“People across America are suffering through intensifying storms and other disasters because of climate change.”
— Vickie Patton, general counsel, Environmental Defense Fund
Why this matters:
The Supreme Court’s decision to let the EPA temporarily enforce power plant emission limits is a small but tenuous win for the Biden administration in the uphill battle for climate action. The case still faces scrutiny in lower courts and opposition. Read more: Reflections on the Supreme Court’s Decision in West Virginia v. EPA.
