Chevron ruling changes energy regulations and federal authority

The Supreme Court’s decision to limit the power of federal agencies will pose a challenge to the Biden administration’s climate policy and regulatory efforts.

Niina H. Farah and Lesley Clark present the report E&E News.

In short:

• The Supreme Court decision limits federal agencies’ authority to interpret ambiguous laws, with implications for regulating emissions and electric vehicles.
• Legal experts predict an increase in litigation challenging existing and new laws, especially those related to climate change.
• Key Biden-era climate initiatives, such as cutting emissions from power plants and regulating electric vehicles, face new legal hurdles.

Key Quote:

“Where agencies appear to be taking broad and bold regulatory action to address our most pressing problems, those kinds of efforts will be immediately challenged.”

—Joel Eisen, professor of law at the University of Richmond.

Why is this important:

The ruling could hamper climate change mitigation efforts by raising legal barriers to environmental regulation, potentially slowing policies aimed at reducing climate-warming pollution. Read more: ‘Cancer Alley’ residents exposed to more than lifetime exposure limit for carcinogen