The Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the EPA’s authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions from major facilities while placing some limits on the agency’s reach. A 7-2 majority agreed that the EPA could require permits for greenhouse gas emissions at facilities that already have to obtain permits to emit other pollutants. In a separate decision, the justices voted 5-4 that the agency cannot require a permit based on greenhouse gas emissions alone. The latter decision protects millions of facilities that are not major emitters of greenhouse gases.
The decisions are not expected to affect the Obama Administration’s most recent proposals for reducing emissions from new and existing power plants.
