Much of the environmental news this year was focused on the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, which was released in final form on August 4, and climate change.
The Clean Power Plan applies to both existing and new power plants and seeks to reduce climate change by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Immediately after the final rule was published in the Federal Register, several states, industry firms and groups filed lawsuits with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Oct. 23.