Supreme Court Limits EPA Options in Power Plant Emissions Fight

A blockbuster Supreme Court ruling limiting the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gasses handcuffs the Biden administration on emission mitigation options, but it doesn’t make future climate efforts impossible.

Justices decided in West Virginia v. EPA on Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency is limited to what Congress specifically says is possible under the Clean Air Act. While the ruling constrains the agency’s power, EPA still retains the authority to regulate emissions from coal and gas power plants. That gives President Joe Biden’s administration some options, including the use of Section 115 of the Clean Air Act, which ...