Gas prices surge past $4.31, straining American household budgets
Gas prices exceed $4.31 per gallon, up over $1 from last year.
Event / Politics
Trump EPA Emissions Rules Repeal
Trump administration repeals Obama-Biden era power plant emissions regulations, eliminating $300+ billion in industry compliance costs while facing legal challenges and international criticism over climate implications.
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5 articles0 articles
2026-09-15 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 15 Sept, 00:45 UTC
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What happened
US gas prices exceed $4.31 per gallon, up more than a dollar from previous year
Gas prices in the United States reached $4.31 per gallon, representing an increase of more than a dollar compared to prices from a year prior. The Trump administration attributed gas price elevation to disruptions in global fuel markets caused by the Iran war.
EPA data shows power sector produced 31% of carbon emissions from fossil fuels in 2023
According to EPA data from 2023, the power sector produced 31% of carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, making it the second-highest emitting industry after transportation.
Trump EPA proposes separate rule to prevent future administrations from regulating power plant emissions
The EPA announced it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The proposal is expected to be made final in the following year and follows similar logic to earlier revocation of greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Coal-fired power plants previously required to capture emissions or shut down under 2024 Biden rule
Under a strict EPA rule issued in 2024, coal-fired power plants would have been forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down. The Trump administration is now repealing this requirement.
Partial dismantling of power plant rules would increase smog, mercury, lead, and airborne particles
AP analysis found that dismantling the power plant rules would result in more pollutants including smog, mercury, lead, and especially tiny airborne particles that can lodge in lungs and cause health problems. It would also increase greenhouse gas emissions, driving Earth's warming to deadlier levels.
EPA repeals rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. The rule change, first proposed in 2025, represents a shift from prior Democratic administrations' climate and pollution policies. The repeal is expected to face immediate legal challenges.
EPA decision removes over $300 billion in compliance costs for power industry
The EPA said the rule repeal would remove more than $300 billion in costs for the power industry and allow utilities to make decisions based on ratepayer interests rather than being forced to close aging or inefficient plants.
EPA repeal could have prevented 30,000 deaths and saved $275 billion annually according to AP analysis
According to an Associated Press examination that included the EPA's own prior assessments and a wide range of other research, the rules being repealed could have prevented an estimated 30,000 deaths and saved $275 billion each year they were in effect.
EPA targets nearly three dozen environmental regulations for rollback in early 2025
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced what he called the most consequential day of deregulation in American history, targeting nearly three dozen environmental regulations for rollback in early 2025. The power plant emissions rule is among these targeted regulations.
Environmental and public health groups file lawsuits against EPA over power plant rule rollbacks
More than a dozen environmental and health groups sued EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the EPA after the agency rolled back fundamental steps taken by United States leaders to curb fossil fuel pollution over the last two decades.
Trump administration argues power plant greenhouse gases do not significantly contribute to dangerous pollution
The Trump EPA argued that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuel-fired power plants do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution or climate change and therefore do not meet regulatory thresholds under the Clean Air Act. The EPA claimed greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired plants are a small and decreasing part of global emissions.
Trump administration withdraws US from Paris climate accord for second time
The Trump administration withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris climate accord for the second time. The accord sets voluntary goals for countries to curb planet-warming emissions.
Coal, gas, and oil-fired power plants responsible for one-quarter of US climate pollution
Coal, gas, and oil-fired power plants are responsible for approximately one-quarter of the nation's total climate pollution, making them the second-largest source after the transportation sector. Power plant pollution is one of the largest sources of climate-changing pollution in the world.
EPA power plant rule repeal announced at G20 energy abundance ministerial meeting in Houston
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the power plant rule repeal while hosting a G20 ministerial meeting on energy abundance in Houston, Texas. The announcement coincided with the international meeting.
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2 alternative perspectives
Environmental groups sue EPA over power plant emissions rule repeals
Environmental groups sue EPA over power plant emissions rule repeals.
US withdraws from Paris climate accord as EPA repeals power plant rules
US exits Paris climate accord again and repeals EPA power plant emissions rules, signaling retreat from climate commitments.
Power plants drive pollution linked to thousands of preventable deaths annually
Repealing power plant emissions rules increases air pollution linked to 30,000 preventable deaths and $275 billion in lost health benefits.
EPA repeals power plant emissions rules, eliminating $300 billion in compliance costs
EPA repeals power plant emissions rules and blocks future regulation, removing $300 billion in compliance costs.