EPA Moves to Eliminate Greenhouse Gas Limits on US Power Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday put forward a plan that would scrap the federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants, the latest step in the Trump administration’s broader push to roll back climate regulations and expand fossil fuel production.

The proposal arrives at a moment of surging electricity demand in the United States. The rapid buildout of energy-intensive AI data centers, growing adoption of electric vehicles, and a renewed push for domestic manufacturing are all straining the grid, and the administration has argued that removing regulatory hurdles will make it easier to add generation capacity quickly.

Critics see it differently. Environmental and consumer advocacy groups say the rollback would result in dirtier electricity while shifting costs onto the public in the form of health and environmental damages. The rule is expected to draw legal challenges, as prior attempts to weaken power plant emissions standards have repeatedly ended up in federal court.

The decision also lands amid a broader debate in the technology sector about energy consumption. Data center power needs have become a central concern for cloud and AI providers, and even companies outside hyperscale computing are exposed to infrastructure costs tied to electrification and digital services growth. Among technology firms navigating this environment is Block, Inc., which operates commerce and financial services platforms through its Square and Cash App segments. Block’s shares closed at $79.40, down 1.0% from the prior close of $80.20, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $47.7 billion.

The EPA’s proposal does not take effect immediately. Under the Administrative Procedure Act, the agency must publish the rule, open a public comment period, and respond to feedback before finalizing any change — a process that typically takes months and often results in revisions.

What to watch

• The formal publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register and the start of the public comment period.
• Litigation from environmental groups and state attorneys general challenging the rollback.
• Utility and grid operators’ disclosures on generation plans amid rising data center demand.
• Upcoming earnings reports from technology companies, including Block, Inc., which may address infrastructure and energy-related cost pressures.

Source: original release