Repealing the Clean Power Plan Disregards Health, Environment and Economics

The World Resources Institute issued a statement opposing the Trump administration's October 2017 move to repeal the Clean Power Plan. WRI argues that the repeal ignores the environmental and health benefits of the plan—which aimed for a 32% reduction in power plant emissions by 2030—and falsely suggests that the move will revive the coal industry, which WRI claims is failing due to the superior economics of natural gas and renewables.

• On October 10, 2017, the Trump administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, which was the first nation-wide effort to limit carbon pollution from power plants with a goal of reducing emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The repeal process included the issuance of a legal preamble for withdrawal and a new cost-benefit analysis.
• Sam Adams, Director of WRI United States, argues that the repeal disregards public health, the environment, and the global impact of U.S. emissions, particularly in the context of 'super-charged hurricanes' driven by warming seas. Adams asserts that the Clean Power Plan was designed to provide states with flexibility in implementation while promoting economic growth and innovation.
• WRI contends that the repeal will not restore coal jobs because the decline of coal is driven by economics, as natural gas and renewable energy are cheaper and cleaner alternatives. Adams suggests that instead of promising a coal revival, the government should provide coal communities with job-training programs and policies to transition to future fuels.

APA

Adams, S. (2017). Repealing the Clean Power Plan Disregards Health, Environment and Economics. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-repealing-clean-power-plan-disregards-health-environment-and-economics

Chicago

Adams, Sam. Repealing the Clean Power Plan Disregards Health, Environment and Economics. World Resources Institute, 2017. https://www.wri.org/news/statement-repealing-clean-power-plan-disregards-health-environment-and-economics.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Adams |first1=Sam |title=Repealing the Clean Power Plan Disregards Health, Environment and Economics |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=10 October 2017 |url=https://www.wri.org/news/statement-repealing-clean-power-plan-disregards-health-environment-and-economics |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{adams2017repealing, author = {Adams, Sam}, title = {{Repealing the Clean Power Plan Disregards Health, Environment and Economics}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/news/statement-repealing-clean-power-plan-disregards-health-environment-and-economics}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }