Court Won’t Rule on Clean Power Plan Until After Paris Climate Talks

The court’s decision on whether to block the Clean Power Plan won’t come until after the UN’s December climate negotiations in Paris, according to a court order issued yesterday.

The order from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the EPA has until Dec.3 to respond to the states and industry groups that sued to stop the carbon rules from taking effect, Reuters reports. Those groups will then have until Dec. 23 to respond to the EPA. The court will likely issue its final ruling weeks later.

The Clean Power Plan went into effect on Oct. 23. Under the new law, existing coal-burning power plants must cut carbon emissions by 32 percent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

Also on Oct. 23, 26 states and more than 20 businesses and industry associations immediately filed a petition with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn the Clean Power Plan.