The Supreme Court announced it would hear a business-backed appeal challenging California’s strict vehicle emissions standards, focusing on a waiver granted to California by the EPA in 2022.
The case questions whether fuel producers have legal standing to challenge the waiver, with the companies arguing that they could be impacted as automakers might produce more gas-powered vehicles instead of electric cars.
The big picture: The Biden administration’s EPA waiver aims to reverse environmental rollbacks enacted during the Trump administration and allows California to set its own emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.
- The high court’s decision will not directly review the waiver itself but will determine if fuel producers can challenge the EPA’s decision.
Driving the news: Automakers like Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen are already compliant with California’s emission standards, potentially weakening the fuel producers’ argument for challenging the waiver.
- The Supreme Court’s involvement in this case adds to a series of recent environmental rulings, including limitations on the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon emissions and the halting of the agency’s “good neighbor” rule.
- The legal dispute traces back to the Trump administration’s attempt to rescind California’s authority in 2019, and the EPA’s subsequent restoration of the state’s power under Biden’s presidency in 2022.
- Despite past trends favoring challenges to environmental regulations, the court has upheld some regulations to limit pollution from coal-fired power plants while awaiting further legal proceedings.
