Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan

The World Resources Institute argues that the U.S. Supreme Court's temporary stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) should not deter climate action, asserting that the plan is legally sound and provides significant economic and public health benefits that outweigh its compliance costs.

• The U.S. Supreme Court paused the implementation of the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to allow an appeals court to review a legal challenge from industry groups, corporations, and several states, with a decision expected by the fall. The World Resources Institute notes that this stay was not based on the legal merits of the CPP and expects the rule to eventually prevail.
• The Clean Power Plan is identified as a critical tool for the United States to achieve its target of reducing emissions by 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. According to EPA estimates, the plan's public health and economic benefits, ranging from $25 billion to $65 billion due to reduced exposure to ground-level ozone and particulate matter, significantly exceed the estimated compliance costs of $7 billion to $9 billion.
• Many states are already preparing for CPP compliance, and WRI analysis indicates that Missouri, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia could meet or exceed their targets by expanding current clean energy policies and optimizing existing infrastructure, such as coal plant efficiency and natural gas plant utilization. Specifically, Pennsylvania could potentially generate over $160 million annually in revenue from out-of-state sources between 2022 and 2030 if it surpasses its target, assuming a modest carbon price.
• Beyond state governments, various U.S. cities and corporations are pursuing low-carbon transitions. Cities including Austin, Portland, Chicago, and New York have joined the Compact of Mayors to develop emissions reduction plans. Additionally, companies such as Microsoft, Unilever, Kellogg’s, Walmart, and Exelon have set ambitious emissions-reduction targets, and over 1,000 companies support a carbon price.

APA

World Resources Institute (2016). Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan. https://www.wri.org/insights/despite-stay-americas-economy-and-climate-need-clean-power-plan

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan. 2016. https://www.wri.org/insights/despite-stay-americas-economy-and-climate-need-clean-power-plan.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Resources Institute |title=Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan |date=10 February 2016 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/despite-stay-americas-economy-and-climate-need-clean-power-plan |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldresourcesinstitute2016despite, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Despite Stay, America’s Economy and Climate Need the Clean Power Plan}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/despite-stay-americas-economy-and-climate-need-clean-power-plan}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }