Obama vows to press ahead on Clean Power Plan after setback

“Charging ahead with implementation of the Clean Power Plan would have caused immediate and irreparable harm to America’s electric co-ops”, said NRECA Interim CEO Jeffrey Connor.

Environmentalists were stunned by the court’s action, which they stressed did not reflect a decision on the relative strength of the Obama administration’s case.

President Obama outlines his climate plan at the United Nations in September.

The rule requires a 32 percent reduction in power plant emissions by 2030, with the baseline set at 2005 emission levels.

“The Supreme Court’s decision is deeply disappointing”.

“Both state and federal officials should use this time to craft more effective and efficient legislative responses to address climate change, as merely delaying action will not solve the problem”.

However, a group- of mostly Republican-led states and heavy industry groups led a pushback against the regulations, arguing they were an unjustified land grab that would push up energy costs. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) praised the court, and charged that the rule should “be struck down permanently before coal country is destroyed completely”.

Bellona’s Sirin Engen visits CCS projects in the US. “American industry is dependent on CCS if the USA is to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement”. “It’s a huge step, and something that illustrates how seriously the Supreme Court is taking these types of issues”.

The appeals court is not likely to issue a ruling on the plan until months after it hears oral arguments begin on June 2. The court’s decision to halt the plan until the litigation concludes could indicate which way they are leaning.

Not surprisingly, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration disagrees with the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the plan.

“We remain confident that we will prevail on the merits”, a representative from the government said.

FirstEnergy Corp. spokesman Todd Schneider said the company will continue working with states that are developing plans to comply while the court battle continues. Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, Justice Sotomayor, and Justice Kagan would deny the application. Already, the administration has imposed carbon limits on future power plants, but this is the first time such limits would be applied to existing ones – the single largest source of carbon pollution in the U.S.

“Tonight’s Supreme Court decision has delayed the implementation of the Clean Power Plan while we are running out of time to combat climate change”, said Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth Action.

The administration added that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to coordinate with states that support the Clean Power Plan. Without a stay, they told the court, the plan would “force massive, irreversible changes in terms of state policies and resources, power plant shutdowns, and investments in wind and solar power” all in the name of a program that might ultimately be found unconstitutional.

“Hope. Coal miners and their families should have more hope tonight after our unprecedented victory at the US Supreme Ct. We stayed the CPP!” tweeted Morrissey, whose state leads the group opposing the Obama plan.