Attorney General Bonta Issues Statement on Supreme Court Decision in West Virginia v. EPA

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in West Virginia v. EPA. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court held that the Clean Power Plan's limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired plants were unlawful because Congress did not clearly authorize the methodology the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had used to set them.

"Today's decision by the Supreme Court restricting the EPA's ability to address emissions from power plants is misguided and gravely disappointing. It will have dangerous consequences. We are running out of time in the fight against climate change, and we need all levels of government working together to take action before it's too late," said Attorney General Bonta. "In California, we have strong programs in place to address climate change, and we will not go backwards. We will continue to use all the tools we have to reduce emissions, fight climate change, and protect public health. That includes pushing for stronger environmental regulations at the federal level. With the future of our planet at stake, our commitment to tackling the climate crisis cannot waver."

Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of state attorneys general in the case defending the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act authority to require meaningful reductions of aging power plants' greenhouse gas emissions.

A copy of the decision is available here.