Plaintiffs and environmentalists alike welcomed the unusual decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to postpone oral arguments on the Clean Power Plan until September. The court had scheduled the arguments for June 2 before a three-judge panel. But in a move widely seen as an acknowledgment of the serious issues involved, the arguments were rescheduled for hearing Sept. 27 by the full Court of Appeals.
President Barack Obama (D) announced the Clean Power Plan on Aug. 3, 2015, calling it “the single most important step America has ever taken in the fight against global climate change.” The plan’s goal is to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, the source of 31% of U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions. Implementation is to begin with setting of goals for carbon-dioxide emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency. The goals are tailored for each state, tribe and U.S. territory, leaving the decisions on how to meet them to plans drawn up by the state and local authorities.