EPA Repeals Biden-Era Mercury Standards for Coal-Fired Power Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency said that easing the emission standards will save the country an estimated $670 million.

Steam rises from a coal power plant in Adamsville, Ala., on April 11, 2021. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Feb. 20 it would repeal Biden-era rules that further limited mercury and hazardous air pollutant emissions from coal-fired power plants.

The rules stem from the Biden administration’s 2024 amendments to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) that would have reduced mercury emission limits for lignite-fired power plants by 70 percent.