EPA Revokes Key Scientific Finding, Ending Federal Power to Regulate Climate Emissions

Washington, Thursday, 12 February 2026.
On February 12, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency formally repealed the 2009 Endangerment Finding, fundamentally altering the U.S. regulatory landscape. This action erases the legal prerequisite for regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, effectively dismantling the federal government’s authority to impose emissions standards on vehicles and power plants. Administrator Lee Zeldin characterized the move as the most significant deregulatory action in American history, intended to decouple the energy sector from climate mandates. However, analysts warn that removing this scientific bedrock creates immediate volatility for solar and wind investments and guarantees a protracted legal battle, as environmental groups seek to restore the finding before the Supreme Court.