Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has joined 24 counterparts from other Republican-led states in challenging a new federal rule governing emissions from coal-burning and gas-fired power plants asking a federal court to declare the rules unlawful. Carr and his colleagues argue the rules contain costly and unattainable emissions standards in an effort to close existing coal plants and prevent construction of new natural gas plants.
The plaintiffs also claim the new rule ignores a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that warned the EPA not to enforce regulations that are so stringent they force coal plants into retirement. The new rule requires coal and gas plants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032. While it does not explicitly mandate abandoning coal or gas as a source for power generation, it is expected to accelerate the closure of coal plants.
