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Trump Climate and Energy Policy Rollbacks

EPA repeal of greenhouse gas endangerment findings, offshore wind lease cancellations, and withdrawal from climate commitments

Protests grow in Albania over Trump-linked luxury resort project

Illustration accompanying article: Protests grow in Albania over Trump-linked luxury resort project
  • Protests in Albania are intensifying against a $4.6 billion luxury coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, planned within a nature reserve and on an uninhabited island.
  • Ivanka Trump told a podcast that she and Kushner discovered the site while on a friend's boat, stopping for a swim before hiking the island barefoot.
  • Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has said there is "no chance" the investment will stop, calling the project transformational for the country's tourism ambitions.
  • Since late May, heavy machinery has entered the Narta Lagoon area, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing, which environmental groups say is causing irreversible damage to protected habitats.
  • A similar Kushner-linked project in Serbia collapsed after prosecutors charged a government minister with abuse of office tied to the development.
 3 MIN READ

Trump EPA ends climate health “endangerment” finding; experts warn of uneven harms

Illustration accompanying article: Trump EPA ends climate health “endangerment” finding; experts warn of uneven harms
  • The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency overturned a 2009 scientific “endangerment finding” that climate change is a danger to public health.
  • Public health experts said the rollback is likely to mean more illness and death, with communities of color and low-income areas hit hardest.
  • Residents in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” said air pollution and high cancer rates are already shaping daily life, including deaths among relatives.
  • A coalition of health and environmental groups sued the EPA over the revocation, calling it unlawful and harmful.
 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Trump’s EPA climate health rollback likely hits vulnerable communities hardest

Ruining Gary Gensler’s Climate Rule

2026-06-02

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins is doing the devil’s work ruining his predecessor Gary Gensler’s great work.

Holman W. Jenkins’s Climate Brochure Is Donor-Class Insurance

2026-05-29

Holman Jenkins converts a quiet methodological correction into a donor-class permission machine aimed at killing carbon policy. His Wall Street Journal column, published May 29, 2026, inflates the UN's retirement of an outdated worst-case emissions yardstick into a Trump-vindication narrative, using techniques we helped build from inside the same opinion-page apparatus. The following excerpt-by-excerpt autopsy shows how a technical footnote becomes an insurance policy for the fossil-fuel industry.

Appeals court grills EPA, nonprofits over fate of Trump “green bank” contracts

2026-02-26

A federal appeals court on Tuesday grilled the Trump administration and nonprofits chosen to run a $20 billion “green bank” program over the termination of their contracts, questioning whether officials invented reasons to block the program and whether the nonprofits were demanding control of money that was not theirs. The case is before the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after a three-judge panel last September agreed the administration had broad power to cancel the contracts.

Federal protections end for lesser prairie chicken after court ruling

2026-02-25

The Trump administration ended federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, a ground-dwelling bird known for elaborate mating dances on the southern Great Plains. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized the delisting Thursday, formalizing a federal court ruling that found the species was listed improperly. The decision strips away Endangered Species Act requirements aimed at avoiding harm to the bird’s habitat, including mating areas called leks.

Pentagon airlifts microreactor as Trump pushes fast-track nuclear deployment

2026-02-20

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — The Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, marking what they said is a test of the U.S. ability to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight on Feb. 15 carried a 5-megawatt microreactor without nuclear fuel, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defense Michael Duffey traveling with the privately built unit.

EPA loosens mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants

2026-02-20

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants, continuing the Trump administration's effort to reduce environmental protections on fossil fuels. The agency announced the move at the Mill Creek Generating Station, a coal plant along the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky, saying it would save the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.

Alabama GOP bill would bar stricter pollution rules without proven harm

2026-02-19

Some Republican lawmakers in Alabama have approved a bill that would limit the state’s ability to set environmental regulations stricter than federal standards, framing the change as preventing regulatory overreach. The legislation, approved by the Alabama House and Senate, goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey for a decision after critics said it would raise barriers to addressing health risks from pollution, including PFAS.

Groups sue EPA over rescinding 2009 endangerment finding underpinning climate rules

2026-02-19

A coalition of health and environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, challenging the agency’s decision to rescind a 2009 finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare. The groups filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after the EPA finalized the repeal last week. The dispute centers on whether the Obama-era determination can be undone and what that could mean for Clean Air Act regulations governing greenhouse gases.

EPA ends credits for automatic start-stop ignition in new vehicles

2026-02-18

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it is ending tax credits for automakers that install automatic start-stop ignition systems in vehicles, a move announced with President Donald Trump at the White House. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the technology as something “everyone hates” and said the credits are now “over, done, finished.”

Lawsuits challenge planned lease sale in Alaska’s Petroleum Reserve

2026-02-18

Conservation groups and an Iñupiat organization filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s renewed push for oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, including a lease sale set for March 18. The plaintiffs argue the sale would make ecologically sensitive lands available for leasing despite protections in place for decades.

US urges Vanuatu to withdraw UN climate reparations draft

2026-02-16

The Trump administration is urging other nations to press Vanuatu to withdraw a United Nations draft resolution supporting strong action on climate change, including provisions calling for reparations tied to international obligations, the State Department said in guidance sent to U.S. embassies and consulates.

EPA revokes 2009 endangerment finding, reshaping US climate rules

2026-02-13

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revoked its 2009 “endangerment finding,” a scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases from fossil-fuel pollution endanger public health and welfare. The decision, made Thursday, had served for 16 years as a legal foundation for greenhouse-gas limits on power plants, vehicles and other sources under federal law, and it could leave future climate rules in limbo as courts and challenges come into play.

Fact Focus: False claims by Trump administration as it revokes endangerment finding

2026-02-13

President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin revoked the 2009 endangerment finding that has been central to U.S. greenhouse-gas regulation, and the announcement included multiple claims about climate and energy that the Associated Press challenged as false or misleading. In an AP fact check, experts and other records cited by the report disputed Trump’s assertions about the finding’s legal basis, the cost of wind power, and links between climate and public health.

Trump’s EPA rejects climate as health threat, but studies find harms

2026-02-13

The Trump administration revoked an Environmental Protection Agency finding that climate change endangers public health, an idea President Donald Trump called “a scam.” Researchers say a large and growing body of peer-reviewed work links warming to increased illness and deaths, including heat-related fatalities and other health impacts.

Trump administration, Congress move to delay US EV charging build-out

2026-02-12

The build-out of electric-vehicle charging in the United States has continued since Donald Trump returned to office, but the administration and Congress have introduced new steps that could delay it, according to reporting. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced new “fully American-made” requirements for chargers funded with federal money, while the administration and lawmakers have also moved to redirect or cut some EV-charging funds.

Trump EPA set to rescind 2009 endangerment finding underpinning climate rules

2026-02-11

The Trump administration will revoke a 2009 government finding that concluded greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare, the White House said. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue a final rule rescinding the finding on Thursday, with President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin set to formalize the change at a ceremony.

TVA signals it prefers keeping Kingston and Cumberland coal plants open

2026-02-11

Tennessee Valley Authority said it now prefers to keep operating two coal-fired plants in Tennessee that it had planned to shut down, according to new filings ahead of a board meeting. The utility said regulatory changes and growing electricity demand are pushing it to rethink closure dates for Kingston Fossil Plant and Cumberland Fossil Plant, even as it plans to add more natural gas generation at the sites.

Trump reopens Atlantic ocean monument to commercial fishing

2026-02-08

PORTLAND, Maine — President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Friday to reopen a protected area in the Atlantic Ocean off New England to commercial fishing, rolling back marine protections created under former President Barack Obama and restored under President Joe Biden. Trump said the change would allow appropriately managed fishing without threatening the monument’s historic and scientific objects.

Energy Star survives Trump budget cuts as other efficiency rules face rollback

2026-02-05

Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency-run program that helps consumers choose more efficient appliances, remains funded after President Donald Trump signed new budget legislation, an Associated Press report said. The program got $33 million in the legislation, slightly above 2024 levels, though environmental advocates said uncertainty about how it will be administered under a reduced EPA staff could affect its future.

Judge clears Sunrise Wind to resume as Trump’s offshore freeze collapses

2026-02-03

A federal judge cleared the Sunrise Wind offshore wind project for construction to resume Monday, the fifth such project affected by the Trump administration’s December pause to be put back on track. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the government failed to show offshore wind is an imminent national security risk that warrants halting the projects in the United States.

Federal judge allows Massachusetts offshore wind project to proceed

2026-01-30

A federal judge on Tuesday allowed Vineyard Wind, a near-complete Massachusetts offshore wind project, to continue despite a Trump administration stop-work order tied to national security concerns. The ruling in U.S. District Court in Boston halted the administration’s order as developers and states pursue legal challenges to the broader pause of East Coast projects.

Federal judge allows winter oil and gas exploration in Alaska preserve

2026-01-29

A federal judge ruled that ConocoPhillips Alaska can proceed with planned winter oil and gas exploration in a portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska after rejecting a bid to halt the project while lawsuits play out. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason said conservation groups and a group aligned with Iñupiat interests did not show they have a “fair chance of success” on the merits of their claims. The decision follows a court filing that a mobile drilling rig toppled onto snow-covered tundra while being transported last week.

EPA proposes approval of 8 states’ ozone plans under Good Neighbor rule

2026-01-29

The Trump administration proposed to approve ozone air-pollution plans submitted by eight states, a move the EPA said would remove the need for a federal “Good Neighbor Plan” for those areas. The proposal came Wednesday, when the agency said it found the states “have adequate data” showing they are not interfering with ozone attainment requirements under national air standards.

EPA proposes easing air pollution rule on interstate emissions

2026-01-28

The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed eliminating federal oversight of interstate air pollution by approving eight states to regulate ozone emissions as they determine appropriate, the Environmental Protection Agency said. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin described the action as "cooperative federalism," replacing what he called a "heavy-handed, one-size-fits-all, federal mandate." The affected states are Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Tennessee, which the EPA under the Biden administration had found had not sufficiently controlled emissions traveling across state lines. Environmental groups said the proposal would harm downwind states by allowing industrial pollution to travel without federal constraint. "Letting states off the hook while their pollution continues harming air quality in neighboring states is dangerous," said Zachary Fabish, a Sierra Club lawyer.

California sues Trump administration over pipeline restart

2026-01-23

California sued the Trump administration on Friday for approving Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp.'s plans to restart two oil pipelines along the state's coast, escalating a dispute over federal authority to override state regulation of facilities in California's jurisdictional waters. Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta said the federal administration "has no right to usurp California's regulatory authority." The Trump administration, through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, defended the approval, saying it would bring "much needed American energy to a state with the highest gas prices in the country."

Trump administration cancels solar projects in Puerto Rico as grid falters

2026-01-22

The Trump administration has canceled multimillion-dollar solar projects in Puerto Rico aimed at helping low-income families as the island grapples with chronic power outages and a deteriorating electrical grid. The U.S. Energy Department said the grid cannot reliably accommodate more distributed solar power, a justification that industry officials sharply disputed.

EPA eases pollution rules under Trump; Texas air quality at risk

2026-01-21

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced 31 deregulatory actions within President Trump's first 100 days in office, targeting federal pollution standards from methane emissions to the legal framework obligating the EPA to regulate climate-changing pollution. Zeldin called the actions the agency's "greatest day of deregulation." The EPA also froze research grants, shrank its workforce, and removed references to climate change and environmental justice from its websites. Environmental advocates said the moves signal the EPA's new direction will prioritize deregulation over public health protections. Texas, the nation's top oil and gas producer and home to the Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth metropolitan areas, faces particular exposure to the rollbacks because state environmental officials have shown limited interest in strengthening enforcement as federal standards weaken. Conservation groups fear the changes will bring higher pollution and health risks to communities near industrial sites.

Climate activist says Trump’s renewable stance could raise power bills

2026-01-18

Longtime climate activist Bill McKibben said in Vermont this week that President Donald Trump’s stance against solar and other low-cost green energy will push electricity bills higher and could affect GOP fortunes in the 2026 elections. The Associated Press reported McKibben made the comments after installing a new set of plug-in solar panels on his home, adding to systems he has used for about 25 years.

Federal judge lets Virginia offshore wind resume as other cases lift pauses

2026-01-17

A federal judge ruled Friday that work on a Virginia offshore wind project could resume, the third such decision this week against the Trump administration’s pause on offshore wind leasing. The ruling allows Dominion Energy Virginia’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to continue while the company’s legal challenge proceeds.

Juez permite seguir Empire Wind mientras evalúa orden de Trump

2026-01-17

Un juez federal permitió el jueves que el proyecto de energía eólica marina Empire Wind en Nueva York reanude la construcción mientras considera una orden del gobierno del presidente Donald Trump para suspenderlo. El fallo, dictado por el juez de distrito Carl J. Nichols, fue una victoria para Equinor, el desarrollador del proyecto.

Virginia judge allows third offshore wind project to resume amid court losses for Trump

2026-01-16

A federal judge in Virginia on Friday granted a preliminary injunction allowing construction to resume on Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, making it the third East Coast offshore wind project this week to win a court order blocking the Trump administration's 90-day lease suspension. The ruling followed similar orders earlier in the week that cleared Empire Wind off New York and Revolution Wind serving Rhode Island and Connecticut to restart work.

Detroit auto show reflects EV retreat as Trump policies reshape U.S. market

2026-01-15

DETROIT — Electric vehicles no longer hold a dedicated lane at the North American International Auto Show, where indoor tracks once reserved exclusively for EVs now admit hybrids and gas-powered vehicles — a change organizers say reflects a broader industry shift under President Donald Trump's pro-fossil fuels agenda. U.S. electrified vehicle sales, including plug-in hybrids, grew just 1 percent in 2025, according to data released this week by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, as China posted 17 percent growth and Europe 33 percent over the same period.

Federal judge clears Empire Wind to resume construction, second court loss for Trump this week

2026-01-15

A federal judge on Thursday cleared New York's Empire Wind offshore wind project to resume construction, handing Norwegian energy company Equinor a victory and dealing the Trump administration its second federal court defeat this week in its effort to halt East Coast offshore wind development. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, a Trump appointee, ruled that construction could proceed while he considers the merits of the government's suspension order. Nichols faulted the administration for failing to respond to key points in Equinor's court filings, including the contention that the administration violated proper procedure when it issued the freeze.

Judge allows New York offshore wind project to resume construction

2026-01-14

A federal judge on Thursday cleared the way for a New York offshore wind project to resume construction while he reviews the merits of an administration order to pause it. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that construction on the Empire Wind project could proceed as he considers the government’s request to suspend the work. Equinor, the developer behind Empire Wind, said it welcomed the decision.

Trump EPA rolls back grant and environmental justice support for water systems

2026-01-08

Scores of U.S. wastewater systems are failing to meet federal pollution limits, but the Trump administration has moved to cut or end some Environmental Protection Agency programs and grants aimed at communities most affected, The Associated Press reported. Advocates say the cuts, including steps tied to diversity, equity and inclusion, could widen health and economic disparities as communities struggle to fund maintenance and upgrades.

Trump begins U.S. exit from UN climate convention, experts warn

2026-01-07

President Donald Trump on Wednesday began the process to withdraw the United States from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, part of the UN’s climate-fighting system, according to experts and treaty specialists. They said the move will leave the U.S. isolated and could damage both American interests and global efforts as the world approaches internationally agreed temperature thresholds.

Trump freeze sparks lawsuits over offshore wind leases on East Coast

2026-01-06

Offshore wind developers and state officials sued after the Trump administration suspended leases for five offshore wind projects on the East Coast for at least 90 days, setting up a legal fight over national security claims. Equinor and Ørsted filed civil suits in the District of Columbia late Tuesday, and Connecticut and Rhode Island sought a preliminary injunction on Monday for a separate project. The administration said the pause is intended to protect national security and military readiness, but it did not disclose specifics.

White House finalizes plan to curb NEPA environmental reviews for energy

2026-01-06

The Trump administration has finalized a plan to roll back regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, which requires federal agencies to consider environmental impacts before approving energy and infrastructure projects. The White House Council on Environmental Quality on Wednesday rescinded regulations tied to NEPA environmental review, according to the administration.

Trump administration orders Colorado coal unit to stay operating

2026-01-03

The Trump administration ordered the owners of Colorado’s Craig Station Unit 1 to keep the coal-fired generator running beyond its Wednesday retirement date, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The order came after Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association said a broken valve had taken the 446-megawatt unit out of operation, and that compliance would require repairs.

Under Trump, reshaped EPA veers from traditional mission

2026-01-01

The Trump administration has reshaped the Environmental Protection Agency in its first year, cutting federal limits on air and water pollution while promoting fossil fuels, according to an Associated Press review. The changes mark a sharp departure from the agency’s long-standing mission to protect human health and the environment.

Trump administration orders Colorado coal plant to keep running past retirement

2026-01-01

The Trump administration has ordered Tri-State Generation and Transmission to keep Unit 1 of its Craig Station coal-fired power plant running beyond its Wednesday retirement date, citing an electricity-generation shortage in the northwestern United States. Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued the emergency order after a broken valve put 446-megawatt Unit 1 out of operation in December, and Tri-State said complying will be costly.

Michigan loses $540 million in climate grants amid EV pullback

2025-12-30

Michigan saw about $540 million in climate-related federal grants canceled or held up after President Donald Trump took office, according to an analysis compiled by Atlas Public Policy. The shift also corresponds with changes in state and automaker plans for clean-energy manufacturing, including cancelled or delayed electric-vehicle and battery projects, the reporting says.

South Korea climate pledges face LNG deal tension with Trump push

2025-12-30

South Korea has outlined plans to retire most of its coal-fired power plants by 2040 and cut emissions by 2035, but the country’s climate goals are drawing scrutiny amid negotiations to increase U.S. liquefied natural gas purchases tied to trade talks with President Donald Trump. At recent UN climate talks, South Korea’s new Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the shift is central to its carbon-cutting pledge. Climate advocates and energy analysts say adding more LNG could undercut the planned move away from fossil fuels, even if gas burns cleaner than coal.

Dominion Energy sues to block Trump order pausing offshore wind projects

2025-12-29

Dominion Energy Virginia has asked a federal judge to block a Trump administration order that paused construction of its offshore wind project and four others, saying the government acted without proper basis. The order from the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management set a 90-day period to assess national security threats, while a hearing is set for 2 p.m. Monday on Dominion’s request for a temporary restraining order.

DOE watchdog to audit Trump clean energy grant cancellations tied to “Blue States”

2025-12-29

The U.S. Department of Energy’s inspector general will audit clean energy grant cancellations totaling $7.6 billion that the Trump administration terminated across 16 states. The move follows a court filing in which the government said the selection of grants was influenced by whether a grantee’s address was in a state that votes for Democratic candidates. Acting inspector general Sarah Nelson said the review will examine whether the cancellations followed “established criteria.”

Michigan faces $540 million in canceled climate grants as EV plans unwind

2025-12-29

Michigan has lost about $540 million in climate-related federal grants since President Donald Trump took office, according to an Atlas Public Policy database cited by Bridge Michigan. The cancellations come as auto and battery manufacturers have scaled back or halted some electric-vehicle projects and shifted investment toward gas and hybrid production.