Armstrong applauds EPA proposal to repeal burdensome Biden-era power plant regulations

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong issued the following statement today after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its proposal to repeal two burdensome Biden-era power plant regulations known as “Clean Power Plan 2.0” and Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS).

The announcement comes one month after Armstrong and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin met in Washington, D.C., discussing the need to repeal the Biden administration’s onerous and overreaching rules on power plants, especially those designed to phase out coal-fired power plants like those in North Dakota that provide critical baseload generation.

“This is what smart federal regulatory reform looks like,” Armstrong said. “It’s refreshing to finally have a regulatory agency that takes input from the people who produce what the world needs – and allows them to do it better than anyone else while protecting the environment. We thank Administrator Zeldin and the Trump administration for supporting common-sense regulation and unleashing U.S. energy production to hold down costs for consumers and strengthen national security.”

North Dakota is currently participating in lawsuits against both the Clean Power Plan 2.0, which would effectively shut down existing coal-fired power plants by requiring them to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032, and the MATS rule, arguing it exceeds EPA’s statutory authority and threatens the U.S. power grid by forcing the premature closure of power plants.