On June 30, 2022, the United States Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) authority to address climate change by striking down their Clean Power Plan (CPP). This has a significant and detrimental impact on the EPA’s ability to limit Greenhouse Gas emissions from the power sector and will likely impede the US’s goal of decarbonizing electricity markets by 2035.

The sweeping implications of such a ruling expand to effectively stopping the EPA’s authority to address climate change and respond to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time. The decision also may limit the future breadth of agency decision-making.

For now, the full scope of West Virginia v. EPA’s implications remains uncertain — dependent on the EPA’s future attempts to regulate greenhouse gases, how lower courts interpret the case, and how the Supreme Court addresses the major questions doctrine in the future. It remains to be seen how this decision will serve as precedent in future cases regarding the federal agency authority. At the very least, the decision will certainly force the EPA to significantly change their approach in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Posted by Maximum Energy Professionals “MEP”, a mechanical engineering firm located in Torrance, CA. Sustainability Services, ENERGY STAR utility benchmarking and award certification, California AB802 Compliance, City of Los Angeles EBEWE Compliance, ASHRAE energy audits, LEED, energy conservation/green Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing systems and equipment design. Call us at 310-782-1410 or visit our website at www.mep-llc.com.