​California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Air Resources Board joined a coalition of 23 states and cities, led by New York, in submitting a comment letter opposing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to repeal all greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants and to eliminate the basis for those standards — the determination that power plant GHG emissions cause harmful climate change. The coalition asserts in its comments that these standards protect against increased emissions and further acceleration of climate change. The proposal, if finalized, could increase carbon dioxide pollution contributing to climate change by eliminating existing requirements for power plants to take steps to control their carbon dioxide emissions.

“Rolling back emission standards for dirty power plants jeopardizes critical progress at a time when it is most needed to confront the escalating impacts of climate change,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We’ve seen these impacts in California just this year with ravaging fires across Los Angeles. The EPA must stop ignoring the facts and immediately withdraw this reckless proposal.”