The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled it’s not up to any judge to decide whether the Tennessee Valley Authority should cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Several states had sued a group of electric utilities, including TVA, arguing their coal-burning plants contribute to climate change.
The unanimous ruling leaves it up to the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases. Spokesperson Barbara Martocci (Mar-TOUCH-ee) says TVA is pleased with the result, but notes they weren’t the ones arguing the case, because the Obama Administration sided with the utilities.
“TVA did not participate in this proceeding; the solicitor general of the United States was the person that did the argument for TVA.”
The EPA is in the process of deciding what rules, if any, to impose. Martocci says TVA has already been working to trim emissions, and will follow any rules the EPA hands down. TVA ranks among the nation’s five largest emitters because of its huge coal-powered fleet.
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