On June 30th, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that will restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to target power-plant emissions. The court’s action puts more onus on Congress in future efforts to tackle climate change. The 6-3 ruling said that Congress needs to be more explicit in directing the agency on sweeping regulations, in this case the EPA’s plan to try to shift power generation away from fossil-fuel plants to cleaner sources. “A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. The ruling not only puts a major obstacle in the Biden administration’s efforts to address more extreme weather and rising sea levels, it also forebodes a chilling effect on other large executive branch efforts to regulate.
