Supreme Court puts hold on Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan

BBC : On 9 February in a 5–4 vote, the US Supreme Court ordered the Obama administration to not take any further steps to carry out the Clean Power Plan that was established in August 2015 until the legal challenges to the plan have been heard. The plan was designed to cut carbon dioxide emissions nationwide by 32% by 2030 and to promote a shift to renewable energy sources. Each state would be assigned a target reduction goal and then would be given leeway to determine how best to reach that goal. However, the plan was challenged in the courts by a coalition of 27 states, utilities, and coal miners as a violation of states’ rights. The challenge, which included an attempt to stop progress with the plan while the other legal issues were settled, was initially rejected by a US appellate court in January/ After that rejection, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.