Supreme Court to Hear Case That Could Undermine Biden’s Air Quality Goals and EPA’s New Rule.

The Supreme Court is set to consider a case that could significantly undermine the Biden administration’s goals of cleaning the air and weaning power plants off coal. The court has been asked by power companies, natural gas pipelines, and Republican-led states to block EPA’s latest “good neighbor” rule, which was issued in March. The decision to proceed with oral arguments rather than summarily rejecting the stay applications is a setback for EPA, which had previously warned that a freeze on implementation would harm people in downwind states. The current good neighbor plan applies in varying degrees to industries in 23 states and EPA has already stayed implementation of the plan’s requirements in 12 of those states.