Trump EPA revokes power plant carbon limits, gutting 2024 climate standards
The administration repeals emissions rules that would have cut carbon pollution by 1.38 billion metric tons through 2047.
What to know
- The EPA repealed 2024 standards requiring coal and gas plants to capture 90% of carbon emissions by 2039, eliminating most climate-related limits on power plant pollution.
- The repeal would have prevented 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution through 2047 and 1,200 deaths plus 360,000 asthma attacks by 2035 under Biden projections; the EPA claims $370 million in business savings but did not quantify public health costs.
- The EPA also proposed removing all remaining greenhouse gas emissions requirements for power plants and previously revoked its 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health.
- Commenters debate whether the move reflects voter preferences, highlight the rising cost-competitiveness of renewables over fossil fuels, and argue the decision cedes technological and economic advantage to China.
The dispute Whether the headline characterizes the change accurately: one commenter calls the headline 'rather sweeping' given it merely rolls back regulations, while others view the reversal as a major abdication of climate responsibility. · positions read across 20 posts and comments
Renewables are now more economically competitive; this move protects short-term fossil fuel profits at the cost of long-term US economic and geopolitical strength.
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“Investing in alternatives has led to massive new industry that is improving the economy of those countries that do it…Gas is the only thing still competitive with solar/wind and its costs are rising while solar and wind continue to fall.”
jmward01 · Hacker News ↗
The policy is driven by fossil fuel industry lobbying and donor interests, not public welfare or genuine economic reasoning.
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“Fossil fuel power plants are unfortunately still profitable for their owners (billionaires...). The cost of building them has mostly been written off a long time ago. None of this is about what is good for America in the long run.”
juujian · Hacker News ↗
Global energy market forces (wars, supply disruptions) will push the world toward renewables regardless of US policy changes.
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“The current wars in Europe and the Middle East paradoxically push the world towards non-fossil enery like few things did before…Nothing hampers solar, wind, and batteries though.”
nine_k · Hacker News ↗
“The Biden administration estimated that the 2024 Carbon Standards would prevent 1,200 deaths and 360,000 asthma attacks in the US in 2035 alone.”
Human Rights Watch · Human Rights Watch / Hacker News
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Regulatory agency implementing the repealTrump administration Executive branch overseeing EPA policyHuman Rights Watch Advocacy organization documenting environmental impacts
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Hacker News comments reflect concern over economic and geopolitical implications
Discussion on Hacker News centers on the economics of the decision, with commenters arguing that renewable energy has become more cost-competitive and that the move cedes technological advantage to China, while others question whether the change reflects what voters actually want.
“Investing in alternatives has led to massive new industry that is improving the economy of those countries that do it. If your argument is an economic one then jump onto the solar, wind and battery bandwagon.”
— jmward01, Hacker News commenter · source -
There are a multitude of arguments against this:- Investing in alternatives has led to massive new industry that is improving the economy of those countries that do it. If your argument is an economic one then jump onto the solar, wind and battery bandwagon.- There are virtually no real short medium or long term gains economically here. Gas is the…
2 more of the top 3 · 20 posts in this stretch
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> - Investing in alternatives has led to massive new industry that is improving the economy of those countries that do itThat's a baseless claim. For example, Germany has invested massively in solar but its electricity prices went up, not down.> Gas is the only thing still competitive with solar/windThat's false. Coal power is cheaper than all of…
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From the wording, it's not clear if the ruling (from 2024) had any impact on power plant running today, or newly built one (it seems like it was mandating carbon capture eventually.)The "good" news is that coal plants are already suboptimal, economically. This is delaying the closure of existing plans, which is just absurd, but completely on brand…
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background
EPA proposes removing all remaining greenhouse gas emissions requirements for power plants — In its announcement rescinding the 2024 carbon standards, the EPA also proposed removing 'all remaining greenhouse gas emissions requirements for power plants,' arguing these emissions do not impact climate change. The agency previously revoked its 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health in 2025.
- 5 days quiet
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EPA announces repeal of 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards
The US Environmental Protection Agency announces it is repealing limits on climate-warming pollution from coal and gas-fired power plants, eliminating most of the limits on power plants' carbon emissions. The 2024 standards had required existing coal plants and new gas plants to capture 90 percent of carbon emissions or shut down by 2039.
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first by HN Best, 3d ago · also HN Frontpage
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first by The Times of Israel, 10d ago
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What people are saying 16 voices from 1 site · best of 20 · verbatim
- Sep 21
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Why keep the planet habitable for these peasants. We have our space stations soon. Let the peasants suffer and die.
- Sep 20
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Soon we'll see a Manhattan Project for a coal powered car. Followed by coal powered Fridge and AC.
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I know HN has lots of American readers, so maybe they can explain.Why aren't the vast majority of America's suburban single family dwellings using rooftop solar? Huge numbers of Americans live in these homes - they're not so much a thing, especially to this degree, in other countries and they seem basically ideal for rooftop solar.Am I missing…
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> - Current events show that energy security is dominated by decoupling from fossil fuels. This weakens the US strategically and continues to set it up to be manipulated by exceptionally hostile actors.Is not Germany an example of the opposite? I mean their decision to shut down nuclear plants while getting dependant on Russian supply of energy…
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I have to wonder if this is a play towards coal miners, who are part of the conservative base - and they need every vote they can get. Coal is an awful source of power, and a really big source of pollution.
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Fossil fuel power plants are unfortunately still profitable for their owners (billionaires...). The cost of building them has mostly been written off a long time ago. None of this is about what is good for America in the long run...
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This comment thread shows that, if anything, the Americans want this. If they released exhaust fume inhalers, the majority of the US population would willingly buy one and take hit after hit to disprove the myth of weird, alien things like "caring about the environment" while quietly wheezing about "but China..." to themselves.
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But is it stupid if you want to sell some fossil fuels in the short to medium term?
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At least they haven't relaxed restrictions on sulfur dioxide emissions, etc.. yet. Making rain acidic again would be completely on brand for this administration.
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This is cope. Oil, gas, and coal are dead, and with them, America’s control over the global financial system, and its political hegemony.America is actively ceding the future to China, and our ruling class have no ideas left other than looting the place as it’s burning to the ground.
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This comments page, as so many on HN, is making me wish there was a way to slap obviously-bad-faith commenters into submission
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The current wars in Europe and the Middle East paradoxically push the world towards non-fossil enery like few things did before. Both oil and natural gas prices have skyrocketed on global markets, and will likely rise more, as Ukraine continues to target Russian oil infrastructure, and Houtis continue to stymie Saudi oil exports.Nothing hampers…
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The Gulf countries paid handsomely to get Trump in there to keep the United States as the buyer of last resort once the rest of the world goes renewable.Problem is that installing a bunch of sick sons of bitches to do your bidding can backfire when those some morons lose a war to Iran in a matter of months.
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This headline is rather sweeping considering the modest nature of the change, which is merely rolling back regulations to 2024 levels.
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The good news is the war with Iran has done more to curtail greenhouse gas emissions than basically anything domestically Trump can do.Violently demonstrating the geopolitical liability of relying on Greenhouse Gasses is more compelling than more climate conferences apparently.
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Full steam ahead towards greenhouse gases, climate change, and +5degree temperatures. Why not?