Carr joins lawsuit challenging federal clampdown on power plant emissions

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 gasfired power plants.

In a legal filing asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to declare the new regulations 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency not to enforce regulations that are so stringent they force coal plants into retirement.

'The Biden administration continues to wage a shameless political attack on our energy sector,' Carr said. 'Our economy depends on safe, reliable and affordable energy, and we won't stand by while D.C. activists further burden families and businesses throughout our state.'

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.

The other states signing onto the lawsuit besides Georgia include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.