- Published on
EPA plans to raise your health costs by $120B on Monday
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce Monday a proposal to eliminate limits on greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, according to a New York Times report citing two people familiar with the plan. The move, led by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, would scrap rules established under Presidents Obama and Biden. Those rules were projected to deliver $120 billion in public health benefits over the next two decades.
The existing limits target carbon dioxide and other emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. They were central to federal climate policy and were designed to reduce the power sector's contribution to global warming. The Trump administration has spent months weakening environmental protections. The EPA has already proposed repealing other clean air and climate rules. This proposal would continue that deregulatory agenda.
If finalized, the rollback would eliminate pollution limits that the EPA previously estimated would prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses. The agency's own analysis valued those health gains at $120 billion. The proposal is not yet public, and the EPA did not immediately confirm the report. The announcement is expected on Monday.
Power plants account for roughly a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The limits set emission performance standards for existing sources. They push utilities toward cleaner generation, fuel switching, or carbon capture. Removing them would allow older coal and gas plants to operate without those federal constraints.
The change would affect public health across the country. Communities near fossil fuel plants would face higher rates of asthma, heart disease, and other pollution-related conditions. Consumers could also bear higher long-term costs. The $120 billion in forgone health benefits is effectively a cost shift onto Americans. Those costs would fall hardest on low-income and minority neighborhoods already overburdened by pollution.
Environmental groups condemned the plan. They called it a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry. Some analysts noted that coal is already declining economically. Gas plants, however, are being built to serve data centers. Critics argue that trend makes the rollback more consequential.
The proposal will likely face legal challenges. EPA rules take months to finalize. States and advocacy groups may sue. The outcome could depend on courts and future elections. Legal experts say the agency must justify reversing its own prior findings.
The rollback fits into a broader pattern of climate deregulation. It comes as record heat and wildfires intensify worldwide. Scientists say fossil fuel combustion is the primary driver of global warming. Delaying action makes solutions harder and more costly. The decision also raises questions about the EPA's mission to protect public health.
