EPA Moves to Strip Power Plant Carbon Limits Amid AI Energy Surge

The Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to eliminate remaining standards on greenhouse gas emissions for U.S. power plants, as The Verge first reported. The move is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to promote fossil fuels and facilitate the expansion of energy-intensive data centers.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated his priority is to establish the U.S. as the "AI capital of the world," which includes slashing environmental regulations for the gas and coal-fired plants that power these facilities. The agency argues that regulating greenhouse gas pollution is outside its scope because the impacts are global and specific public health harms are too "convoluted" or "remote" to link to the U.S. power sector. The EPA claims the finalized repeal of Biden-era requirements would save $310 billion, while further proposed actions would reduce direct compliance costs by $370 million.

This deregulation occurs as U.S. electricity demand rises for the first time in over a decade, driven by the growth of AI, electric vehicles, and domestic manufacturing. This follows a February decision by the Trump administration to overturn the "endangerment finding" for vehicles, which had previously recognized that greenhouse gases threaten public health.

Critics argue the move will increase costs for public health and the environment. Dominique Browning, director and cofounder of Moms Clean Air Force, warned the policy would lead to more asthma attacks and heatstroke. Similarly, Sierra Club chief program officer Holly Bender stated the organization will challenge the proposal in court and Congress, describing the action as a "license to keep polluting" for the fossil fuel industry.