The court took on the case even though there is no current EPA plan in place to deal with carbon output from power plantsThe Supreme Court is hearing a case its conservative majority could use to hobble Biden administration efforts to combat climate change.
Now the justices, in arguments Monday, are taking up an appeal from 19 mostly Republican-led states and coal companies over the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. A broad ruling by the court also could weaken regulatory efforts that extend well beyond the environment, including consumer protections, workplace safety and public health. Several conservative justices have criticized what they see as the unchecked power of federal agencies.