Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT), released the following statement after EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the repeal of the “Clean Power Plan 2.0,” a Biden-era regulation aimed at prematurely retiring America’s most reliable power plants.

“The Biden-Harris Administration crafted the Clean Power Plan 2.0 for one reason only: to permanently eliminate coal and natural gas from America’s energy mix,” said Balderson. “Shortsighted, anti-energy policies like this drive up electricity costs for Ohio families and severely weaken our grid’s ability to keep up with growing power demand. I applaud President Trump and Administrator Zeldin for putting common sense first and leading Republicans’ effort to unleash American energy dominance.”

“For over 15 years, the Obama and Biden administrations implemented a war on coal to destroy reliable and affordable energy. The Trump Administration has come in to protect American energy and to make sure you can afford to keep the lights on,” Zeldin said in a statement. “Americans will see a decrease in electricity prices, but this is just the beginning. We are working to go even further so that American energy can be fully unleashed. Realizing the full potential of American energy means more jobs, lower prices, and a more prosperous America.”

The “Clean Power Plan 2.0,” finalized in May 2024, imposed impossible-to-meet emissions requirements on existing coal-fired and newly constructed natural gas-fired power plants. If left in place, this rule would have continued to raise energy costs and jeopardize power producers’ ability to keep the lights on for Ohio families and businesses.

Balderson led the introduction of a bill in January 2025 to nullify this rule and protect American baseload power production.