Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., unveiled legislation Thursday to suspend potential Environmental Protection Agency regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources for two years.
According to Rockefeller, his legislation will allow two years for Congress to consider comprehensive energy legislation before the EPA could begin consideration of regulations.
The legislation directs that for two years after enactment the EPA can take no regulatory action and that no stationary source shall be subject to any requirement to obtain a permit or meet a New Source Performance Standard under the Clean Air Act with respect to carbon dioxide or methane, except for the motor vehicle emission standards.
The bill is in response to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that gives the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
It is also a response to the EPA filing its final rule in the Federal Register in December 2009, stating, "The Administrator finds that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may reasonably be anticipated both to endanger public health and to endanger public welfare."
"Today, we took important action to safeguard jobs, the coal industry, and the entire economy as we move toward clean coal technology," Rockefeller said.
He added, "This legislation will issue a two year suspension on EPA regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources—giving Congress the time it needs to address an issue as complicated and expansive as our energy future."
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June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.