HOUSTON — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Monday that the agency will roll back Biden-era greenhouse gas standards for coal- and natural gas-fired power plants during a G20 energy conference in Houston, drawing criticism from Texas environmental groups and researchers.
The standards, issued under former President Joe Biden in 2024, limited greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Zeldin said the requirements exceeded the federal government’s authority and argued that removing them would reduce costs for Americans.
“The unlawful Biden administration’s 2024 greenhouse gas requirements for power plants were a direct attempt to shift away from essential and affordable energy,” Zeldin said. “President Trump has made it clear that those days are done.”
Zeldin said the rollback would save American families $310 billion and described the decision as an effort to restore the rule of law.
The policy change could have a significant impact on Texas, which recorded the highest power plant carbon dioxide emissions among states that reported data to the EPA in 2025.
EPA data show Texas power plants emitted more than 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2025. Alaska did not appear in the dataset.
Daniel Cohan, a civil and environmental engineering professor at Rice University, said power plants release other pollutants alongside greenhouse gases, including ozone-forming pollution, smog and particulate matter.
Cohan said Texas could experience a larger impact than other states because of its power plant emissions.
“For Texas, this means that we’re likely to be breathing far more pollution coming out of our power plants for years to come, and we’re affected more than any other state,” Cohan said.
Texas environmental groups also criticized the EPA’s decision.
Jennifer Hadayia, executive director of Air Alliance Houston, said the rollback would affect public health and the climate.
“This hits especially hard here in Houston, where Administrator Zeldin chose to make this announcement, even when the EPA knows full well how much dirty air Houstonians already breathe and how many devastating weather events we have already endured,” Hadayia said.
Hadayia also cited Texas’ record of billion-dollar weather disasters and said the state has experienced more such disasters than any other state.
