- Illinois AG Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 17 Democratic AGs, the city of Chicago, New York City, and the California Air Resources Board, in filing comments opposing the EPA’s proposal to repeal the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule—which restricts emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants—and revert to the more lenient 2012 emission standards. In their comments, the AGs argued that the rollback would escalate health and environmental risks, especially in vulnerable communities, and noted that MATS compliance costs have declined in recent years. They further asserted that the repeal would violate the Administrative Procedure Act, as it lacks a reasoned justification and fails to adequately account for technological and operational developments.
- California AG Rob Bonta—joined by the California Air Resources Board, 21 other Democratic AGs, and a small group of cities—submitted a comment letter urging the EPA to withdraw its proposed repeal of all greenhouse gas emission standards for fossil fuel-fired plants and to rescind its finding that such emissions do not significantly contribute to climate change. In their letter, the AGs argued the repeal would cause large-scale emission increases, accelerate climate change, and disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. They also claimed the move would constitute an unlawful abdication of the EPA’s responsibilities under the Clean Air Act and urged the agency to abandon its proposal.
- Iowa AG Brenna Bird led 23 Republican AGs in sending a letter to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) raising concerns about its Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard. In the letter, the AGs argued that encouraging financial institutions to meet net-zero emissions targets could violate federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws. They claimed the standard may amount to an illegal boycott of fossil fuel industries and threaten U.S. agriculture and energy independence. The letter requested information and documents related to SBTi’s member agreements, standard development, and implementation.