US set to axe climate pollution limits on coal, gas power plants

The Mount Storm coal-fired power station is seen in Mount Storm, West Virginia, US. — AFP pic

First Published: Monday, 14 Sep 2026 4:58 PM MYT

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 — US President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to remove limits on climate pollution from coal and gas power plants today, according to US media reports.

The change would roll back rules introduced by former president Joe Biden’s administration in 2024 which required coal and gas power plants to eliminate nearly all their carbon emissions.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to announce the change during a G20 energy ministers’ meeting in Houston, Bloomberg News and the New York Times reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Under the new rules, power plants would still be subject to some limits on mercury, arsenic and other contaminants, according to the Times.

Coal is the fuel that emits the highest levels of greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

Trump frequently calls human-induced climate change “a hoax” and has worked since returning to office last year to remove a number of environmental regulations, many of which limited fossil fuel use.

This year the EPA overturned its 2009 Endangerment Finding, the scientific determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare. — AFP