• The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced a major rollback of environmental regulations affecting power sectors, vehicle emissions, and energy production. This move aims to stimulate economic growth, lower costs for families, and restore state autonomy while maintaining environmental protections.
• Key regulations targeted for reconsideration or elimination include the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), the Clean Power Plan 2.0, and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The EPA is also considering a two-year exemption for power plants affected by MATS to provide relief to utilities and energy producers.
• The EPA aims to reduce the cost of living by rolling back vehicle emissions standards, including the Biden-Harris administration’s electric vehicle mandate, which imposed significant regulatory costs on the auto industry and consumers.
• The EPA plans to reconsider the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which underpins greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act. This signals a broader policy shift, though overturning the finding faces scientific and legal challenges.
• The deregulatory push is part of a larger effort to revitalize industries, create jobs, and restore American energy dominance. While proponents see it as necessary for economic growth, critics warn of potential harm to public health, the environment, and climate change efforts.

In what EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called “the greatest day of deregulation our nation has seen,” the Environmental Protection Agency announced a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations affecting the power sector, vehicle emissions and energy production. The move, part of a broader deregulatory push by the Trump administration, aims to stimulate economic growth, lower costs for American families and restore state autonomy while maintaining environmental protections.

The announcement, made on March 12, marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over how to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility. While critics argue that the rollbacks could harm public health and the environment, proponents see them as a necessary step to unleash American energy, reduce regulatory burdens and revitalize industries like coal, oil and auto manufacturing.

A return to energy dominance

At the heart of the EPA’s announcement is a focus on energy production. The agency plans to reconsider or eliminate several regulations that have long been criticized by industry leaders as overly burdensome. Among the targeted rules are the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), the Clean Power Plan 2.0 and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.

“We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down the cost of living for American families, unleash American energy and bring auto jobs back to the U.S.,” Zeldin said in a press release.

The MATS rule, which requires coal-fired power plants to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants, has been a flashpoint in the debate over coal’s future. Critics argue that the rule has made it uneconomical to operate coal plants, leading to plant closures and job losses in coal-dependent communities. The EPA is now considering a two-year exemption for power plants affected by MATS while it conducts a rulemaking process to revise the regulation.

This move is expected to provide relief to utilities and independent power producers like Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy and Southern Co., which have faced significant compliance costs under the current rules.

Lowering costs for American families

The EPA’s deregulatory push is also aimed at reducing the cost of living for American families. By rolling back vehicle emissions standards and other regulations, the agency hopes to make cars, energy and consumer goods more affordable.

One of the most contentious targets is the Biden-Harris administration’s so-called “electric vehicle mandate,” which set stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The EPA argues that these rules, which effectively pushed automakers toward electric vehicles, imposed over $700 billion in regulatory and compliance costs on the industry and consumers.

“The American auto industry has been hamstrung by the crushing regulatory regime of the last administration,” Zeldin said. “As we reconsider nearly one trillion dollars of regulatory costs, we will abide by the rule of law to protect consumer choice and the environment.”

The EPA’s announcement has been met with mixed reactions. While industry groups and conservative leaders have praised the move, environmental advocates warn that it could undermine efforts to combat climate change and protect public health.

A shift in environmental policy

The EPA’s announcement also signals a broader shift in environmental policy. The agency plans to reconsider the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which forms the basis for regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. This finding, which concluded that carbon emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare, has been the foundation for numerous climate regulations over the past 15 years.

“For more than 15 years, the U.S. government used the finding to pursue an onslaught of costly regulations — raising prices and reducing [electric] reliability,” said Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “It’s past time the United States ensures the basis for issuing environmental regulations follows the science.”

However, overturning the endangerment finding will not be easy. The scientific evidence supporting the link between carbon emissions and climate change has only grown stronger since 2009, and the finding has withstood multiple legal challenges.

A path forward

The EPA’s deregulatory push is part of a larger effort to stimulate economic growth and restore American energy dominance. By reducing regulatory burdens, the agency hopes to lower costs for businesses and consumers, create jobs and revitalize industries that have struggled under previous administrations.

At the same time, the EPA has emphasized its commitment to protecting the environment. “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 the cost of living for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law and give power back to states to make their own decisions,” Zeldin said.

As the EPA moves forward with its deregulatory agenda, the debate over how to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship will continue. For now, the agency’s actions represent a bold attempt to reshape the regulatory landscape and power what Zeldin calls “the Great American Comeback.”

Whether this approach will achieve its goals remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the EPA’s announcement marks a turning point in the ongoing struggle to reconcile economic and environmental priorities in the 21st century.

Sources include:

UtilityDive.com

EPA.gov

FreightWaves.com