As we have noted in previous posts, one of the many important questions lurking in the climate change/global warning cases currently being litigated is whether the EPA will be the primary regulator of greenhouse gas emissions or whether private parties will be permitted to go directly to court. Should a single judge set emissions standards for regulated utilities across the country—or, as here, for just that subset of utilities that the plaintiffs have arbitrarily chosen to sue? Judges in subsequent cases could set standards for other utilities or industries, or even conflicting standards for these same utilities. At the sane time, many observers question whether the current EPA regulatory direction offers sufficient protection for the jobs and the still shaky economy.

A number of bills have been introduced that could affect this equation. The Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton (R-Mich.), last week spoke of draft legislation that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions.  The Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 would bar the EPA from regulating the so-called greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act by precluding the agency from taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas due to concerns regarding possible climate change.

Joining in support of this approach were Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
Senator Inhofe reportedly plans to introduce a Senate version of the bill soon.

Already in the Senate, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) re-introduced the EPA Regulations Suspension Act of 2011 (S. 231) which would delay for two years EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions rules covering stationary sources.  Co-sponsors include Democrats: Sens. James Webb (Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), and Kent Conrad (N.D.).  Rockefeller’s version would apparently continue to allow EPA regulation of vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.  Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso introduced a more sweeping Senate bill (S. 228) that would reduce federal authority to regulate such emissions under not just the Clean Air Act, but also the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

The White House announced last year that the President would veto efforts to curb EPA authority over these greenhouse gas emissions. But many have expressed concern that the EPA regulations could hurt job growth, particularly for heavy manufacturing states.