Trump Administration to Repeal Obama's Clean Power Plan

"The war on coal is over," says EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

1 minute read

October 9, 2017, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired steam plant near Page, Arizona.

The Navajo Generating Station, a coal-fired steam plant near Page, Arizona. | Andriy Blokhin / Shutterstock

Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report that The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will publish a new power plant rule this week that will effectively end the Obama Administration's Clean Power Rule.

The Obama plan required states to reduce emissions from power plants. The intended target of the Clean Power Rule was to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.

The Trump Administration's new rule is laid out by a 43-page document, as reported in a separate article by Eilperin and Dennis last week. "In a copy of the proposed repeal, first reported by Bloomberg News, the EPA does not offer an alternative plan for regulating emissions of carbon dioxide, which the Supreme Court has ruled that the agency is obligated to do," write Eilperin and Dennis.

Adam Beam is also reporting the breaking news for the Associated Press. According to beam, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told an audience in Kentucky this morning that he would rewrite the rule and that "The war on coal is over."

Monday, October 9, 2017 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and black pavilion with visitor information in public park in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Baker Creek Pavilion: Blending Nature and Architecture in Knoxville

Knoxville’s urban wilderness planning initiative unveils the "Baker Creek Pavilion" to increase the city's access to green spaces.

5 seconds ago - Dezeen

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change