The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) applauded a decision by the US Supreme Court to block—at least for the short term—the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon rules for power plants, reversing a lower court’s decision earlier this year. The rules would have required existing electricity generating utilities to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 32 percent in the next 15 years. The Court “stayed” a decision on implementing the rule while it considers legal challenges from some states and industry groups, including AISI. AISI last fall joined 15 other business associations in filing a court challenge opposing the rule.
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said, “The leading states for iron and steel production in the U.S. are heavily dependent on coal for electricity production, and this EPA rule would hinder economic growth for steel producers at a time when the industry is already in crisis. We have already lost 12,000 jobs in the past year due to unfair foreign trade practices. These EPA regulations would have put us at a further disadvantage against competitors in other nations that have higher rates of greenhouse gas emissions, and many of which benefit from subsidized energy costs. The steel industry welcomes today’s decision.”