Congress moves to strip EPA power-plant emission limits
H.R. 1651 — To nullify the final rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From New, Modified, and Reconstructed Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Fossil Fuel-Fired Electric Generating Units; and Repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule". · Filed by Troy Balderson (R-OH) · 37 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill nullifies an EPA rule issued in May 2024 that set greenhouse gas emission standards for new and existing coal and natural gas power plants, and repealed a prior Trump-era rule. The bill restores the ability of power plants to emit more greenhouse gases without federal limits, benefiting fossil fuel generators at the cost of air quality and climate protections for the public.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to void a federal greenhouse gas emission rule, removing regulatory constraints on fossil fuel power plants. This is straightforward deregulation, not a complex policy trade-off.
What the text implies
- Voiding the rule also repeals the repeal of the Affordable Clean Energy Rule (ACE), effectively restoring ACE — a Trump-era rule that set weaker emission standards. The bill's title does not highlight this restoration of a prior deregulatory rule.
- Removal of federal GHG limits may shift regulatory authority back to states, but the bill does not explicitly address state-level authority or create alternative emission frameworks.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
fossil fuel power generators; coal and natural gas utilities; electric utilities with existing coal/gas fleets