EPA Proposes Delaying Closure of Some Coal-Fired Power Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal on Nov. 25 to extend the closure deadline for certain coal-fired power plants by three years.

In a statement, the agency suggested giving a small subset of coal-fired power operators until Oct. 17, 2031—which is three years beyond the initial Oct. 17, 2028, deadline—to cease operations of coal-fired boilers and close unlined coal combustion residual impoundments over 40 acres.

The proposed extension is intended to promote the reliability of the nation’s electric grid, according to the EPA. The agency said it is seeking comments until Jan. 7, 2026.

“President Trump understands that maintaining baseload capacity is critical to providing affordable and reliable energy for all Americans,” Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management Steven Cook said in the statement.

“Today’s proposal offers flexibility for coal-fired power plants, so they have the time needed to meet requirements and can continue to help secure prosperity and energy independence of our nation.”

Separately, the EPA filed a motion with the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Nov. 24 seeking to overturn the Biden-era rule that tightened the annual limits on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), also known as soot.

The Biden administration last year tightened soot pollution limits from 12 micrograms per cubic meter to 9 micrograms per cubic meter.

The EPA now asked the court to vacate the rule, saying the rule was implemented “without the rigorous, stepwise process” required by Congress.

“Because EPA based its action on an erroneous interpretation of the statute and exceeded its authority by revising the standard without initiating and completing a thorough review, this Court should vacate the rule,” the agency said in its filing.

The move has drawn pushback from some environmental groups.

Hayden Hashimoto, attorney at the Clean Air Task Force, said keeping the existing soot pollution limit could avert “800,000 cases of asthma symptoms, 2,000 hospital visits, and 4,500 premature deaths.”

“The public health and economic benefits of the current standard are tangible,” Hashimoto said. “An abundance of scientific evidence shows going back to the previous standard would fail to provide the level of protection for public health required under the Clean Air Act.”

The EPA did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

The Trump administration has sought to reverse the decline of coal use in the country.

Last month, the Department of Energy (DOE) said that it would provide $100 million in funding to revamp the country’s existing coal-fired power plants to support the U.S. coal industry.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the initiative aims to keep U.S. coal plants running and ensure access to affordable energy, while criticizing past administrations for adopting policies he said targeted the coal sector.