U.S. Supreme Court Just Nixed This White House "Power Grab"

News Staff : Feb 10, 2016
CBN News

The decision is a big victory for the coalition of 27 mostly Republican-led states and industry opponents who call the regulations "an unprecedented power grab."

(Washington, DC)—[CBN News] The Supreme Court has dealt a major setback to the Obama administration, halting the president's sweeping plan to crack down on carbon emissions from power plants. (Photo via CBN News)

The regulations were designed to cut carbon dioxide emissions at power plants by about a third by the year 2030.

In the 5-4 decision, the court put the plan on hold until legal challenges are worked out.

The decision is a big victory for the coalition of 27 mostly Republican-led states and industry opponents who call the regulations "an unprecedented power grab."

The ruling signals the justices were won over by strong arguments against the rules.

Many states opposing the plan depend on economic activity tied to such fossil fuels as coal, oil and gas.

They argued that power plants will have to spend billions of dollars to begin complying with a rule that may end up being overturned.

To convince the high court to temporarily halt the plan, opponents had to convince the justices that there was a "fair prospect" the court would strike down the rule.

The court also had to consider whether denying a stay would cause irreparable harm to the states and utility companies affected.