Chairman Capito Applauds Trump EPA Proposal to End Clean Power Plan 2.0

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to repeal the Biden administration’s unlawful power plant regulation. This rule, known as the Clean Power Plan 2.0, impacts both coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, and would decimate baseload energy production and eliminate jobs across West Virgina.

“Finally, under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking a necessary step towards ending the Clean Power Plan 2.0 once and for all, eliminating the threat this rule poses to our way of life in communities throughout America. I have long opposed this rule and warned of the devastating economic impacts it would have in West Virginia, and the energy reliability concerns it would create across our country. I’m thrilled that EPA Administrator Zeldin is reversing Biden-era regulations that would turn off affordable coal and natural gas energy generation, and is prioritizing electric grid reliability and energy abundance,” Chairman Capito said.

BACKGROUND ON CAPITO’S OPPOSITION TO THE CLEAN POWER PLAN 2.0:

• In March 2025, Senator Capito applauded the Trump EPA for taking the initial steps towards deregulating Biden-era rules, including the Clean Power Plan 2.0, that harm American energy production and energy states like West Virginia.

• In June 2024, Senator Capito led 43 of her Senate colleagues in introducing a formal challenge to the Biden administration’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 regulations intended to shut down American power plants through a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval.

• In December 2023, Senator Capito and U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan to again outline significant concerns with the administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan 2.0.

• Two days later, Senators Capito and Barrasso sent a letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the commissioners to work with the EPA to improve the agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan 2.0 and fix the associated threats to electric reliability the plan presents, brought to light during a FERC technical conference on the Clean Power Plan 2.0 held in November 2023. Senators Capito and Barrasso also sent two other letters to FERC on this topic in June 2023 (requesting the technical conference) and November 2023 (recommending areas of focus for the conference).

• In August 2023, Senator Capito led 38 other Republican senators in filing comments on the proposed Clean Power Plan 2.0, calling on the EPA to withdraw its plans to force the closure of coal and gas-fired power plants.

• In June 2023, Senator Capito led 27 of her colleagues in urging EPA Administrator Michael Regan to extend the public comment period for the Clean Power Plan 2.0.

• In May 2023, Senator Capito announced plans to lead efforts through the CRA to overturn President Biden’s Clean Power Plan 2.0 once it was finalized and published by the EPA.

• In December 2021, Senator Capito led 47 senators and 44 House members on an amicus curiae brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the petitioners, including the state of West Virginia, in the pending case West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency.

• In 2015, Senator Capito and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) successfully challenged then-President Obama’s original Clean Power Plan, which the Supreme Court later overturned, with CRA resolutions of disapproval on the administration’s rules targeting both existing and new power plants. The Senate approved both resolutions: S.J. Res 24 introduced by Senator Capito, and S.J. Res 23 introduced by Senator McConnell. The resolutions were vetoed by President Obama.

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