Trump administration set to announce rollback of power plant rules, sources say
WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce on Wednesday the rollback of Biden-administration rules meant to curb carbon dioxide, mercury and other air pollutant emissions from power plants, following through on a promise the agency made in March, according to three sources.
The announcement will be a key step in President Donald Trump's broader efforts to unwind environmental regulations he views as unnecessary barriers to industrial development and expanded energy production.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin had announced in March his intent to unwind three dozen existing agency air and water rules. The sources said Zeldin on Wednesday is expected to announce the rollback of carbon dioxide emissions rules as well as mercury and air toxics regulations, and leave some of the other planned rollbacks for later.
The EPA confirmed Zeldin will make a major policy announcement on Wednesday afternoon alongside six lawmakers from coal-producing states but did not provide details about the contents of the announcement.
The EPA has already exempted 47 companies from regulations to curb mercury and air toxics for their coal-fired power plants for two years, according to a list of facilities published by the Environmental Protection Agency in April.
That move is intended to prevent power plants from having to retire as the U.S. faces an expected jump in electricity demand linked to a surge in datacenter construction.
The Biden administration's carbon emission rules for power plants would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons by 2047, and formed a crucial part of its broader agenda to fight climate change.
The electricity sector is responsible for nearly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution.
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No. 2 US diplomat questions need for NATO in deleted social media post
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ADM sets off 'frenzy' in US soybean market ahead of new biofuel blend rule
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Prepare to back Israel in conflict with Iran
Once again, Iran's reckless pursuit of nuclear armaments has the Middle East poised on a knife-edge. The International Atomic Energy Agency has declared that Tehran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years, and the rogue state's response has been to declare that it will 'significantly' increase production of enriched uranium. British and American government warnings appear to signal the potential for an imminent conflict between Iran and Israel, with Jerusalem calling for a 'decisive' response to Iran's obstruction of nuclear weapons inspections. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is now 'less confident' that a deal can be reached on the country's nuclear programme, with Tehran adopting a hardline position on the matter. It goes almost without saying that whatever steps are necessary to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons must be taken. As two direct strikes on Israel last year proved, Iran's despotic state is perfectly willing to use force to protect its terrorist proxies in neighbouring countries, and to attempt to pressure the Jewish state into abandoning its efforts at self-defence. Equally, events have made it perfectly clear where Britain's interests and allies in the Middle East are, even if Sir Keir Starmer's Government sometimes seems confused on this point. The Iranian state is a destructive and destabilising force across the region, sponsoring terrorism and fomenting chaos from Houthi strikes on vital shipping lanes to its long-standing support for Hezbollah. If permitted to obtain nuclear weapons, Tehran would inevitably feel emboldened to take these actions further, hiding behind threats of raining destruction down on any party which attempted to rein in its behaviour. This would be an untenable situation for the Jewish state. Iranian leaders have repeatedly called for its destruction, while funding those attempting to bring that about. While military action is not inevitable, if the Israeli government concludes that a targeted strike against Iran's nuclear capabilities is the only way to prevent this scenario coming to pass, Britain and America should not stand in its way. Instead, the role of the wider West now is to work with our allies in Jerusalem in working out how to best contain the Iranian threat, dismantle its nuclear power, and prevent the worst case scenario of a nuclear armed theocracy coming to pass.
