Timeline of EPA Action on Greenhouse Gases

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines the timeline and regulatory framework for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act, detailing specific permitting thresholds and future standards for industrial sources.

• The EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases was established by a May 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, which determined that GHGs are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act, provided they are found to be a danger to human health.
• As of July 1, 2011, the EPA expanded GHG permitting requirements to include all new facilities emitting more than 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) per year, and modifications to existing facilities that increase emissions by 75,000 tons of CO2e per year.
• Facilities subject to these regulations must perform a Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis, a five-step process to identify and rank emission control technologies based on effectiveness, technical feasibility, and energy, environmental, and economic impacts.
• The EPA has implemented a three-year deferral, finalized in July 2011, for GHG permitting for large industrial facilities that use biomass through burning, fermentation, or anaerobic digestion to allow for further study of net atmospheric impacts.
• The EPA's planned schedule for late 2011 and 2012 includes proposing and issuing final GHG standards under the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for oil refineries and power plants.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2011). Timeline of EPA Action on Greenhouse Gases. https://www.eesi.org/files/epa_ghg_timeline_070711.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Timeline of EPA Action on Greenhouse Gases. 2011. https://www.eesi.org/files/epa_ghg_timeline_070711.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Timeline of EPA Action on Greenhouse Gases |date=July 2011 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/epa_ghg_timeline_070711.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2011timeline, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Timeline of EPA Action on Greenhouse Gases}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2011}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/epa_ghg_timeline_070711.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }