California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Air Resources Board have joined a coalition of 23 states and cities in opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to repeal all greenhouse gas emission standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants. The group submitted a comment letter urging the EPA to withdraw its plan, which would also eliminate the determination that emissions from these power plants cause harmful climate change.
“Rolling back emission standards for dirty power plants jeopardizes critical progress at a time when it is most needed to confront the escalating impacts of climate change,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We’ve seen these impacts in California just this year with ravaging fires across Los Angeles. The EPA must stop ignoring the facts and immediately withdraw this reckless proposal.”
The EPA’s proposal would remove existing limits on carbon emissions from new natural gas-fired and existing coal-fired power plants by repealing both the 2015 New Source Performance Standards and the 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards. It would also reverse EPA’s previous finding that greenhouse gas emissions from these facilities significantly contribute to climate change.
Fossil fuel-fired power plants are among the largest sources of climate pollution in the United States. According to state officials, failing to control their carbon dioxide emissions could worsen threats such as heat waves, severe storms, flooding, disease, poor air quality, and damage to ecosystems in California. In the past year, two major fires—the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire—in Los Angeles County resulted in over 37,469 acres burned, 30 deaths, injuries among first responders, and more than 16,251 structures destroyed.
The coalition argues that:
– The proposed rule would undermine efforts to address climate change and increase risks for vulnerable communities.
– The finding that power plants do not “contribute significantly” to greenhouse gas emissions contradicts legal requirements.
– The proposal ignores available measures for reducing emissions.
– Despite suggesting otherwise, even EPA acknowledges that current rules benefit Americans overall.
Other participants joining California include attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin; along with legal officers from Denver County; Boulder; Chicago; New York City; and Washington D.C.
A copy of the comment letter is available online.
