North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong praised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday for proposing the repeal of two major Biden-era regulations affecting power plants, calling the move a win for common-sense energy policy and national security.
The regulations targeted for repeal—known as the “Clean Power Plan 2.0” and updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)—have drawn sharp criticism from North Dakota leaders, who argue the rules would devastate the state’s coal industry and undermine grid reliability.
“This is what smart federal regulatory reform looks like,” Armstrong said in a statement. “It’s refreshing to finally have a regulatory agency that takes input from the people who produce what the world needs – and allows them to do it better than anyone else while protecting the environment.”
The announcement follows a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., between Armstrong and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, during which the two discussed the impact of federal regulations on energy production and the need to preserve coal-fired power plants that provide essential baseload electricity.
Armstrong thanked the Trump administration and Administrator Zeldin for “supporting common-sense regulation and unleashing U.S. energy production to hold down costs for consumers and strengthen national security.”
North Dakota is currently part of ongoing legal challenges against both the Clean Power Plan 2.0 and the MATS rule. The state argues the EPA overstepped its statutory authority and that the regulations would lead to the premature shutdown of coal plants—posing risks to both the economy and the stability of the national power grid.
The EPA’s proposal to roll back the rules will now enter a public comment period before a final decision is made.
By: DNU staff