California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 27 states, counties and cities urging the EPA to withdraw a supplemental proposal to rescind its 2015 finding that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants endanger public health and welfare.

The coalition includes attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia, along with legal officers representing Chicago, Denver, New York City and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

The 2015 Endangerment Finding triggered the EPA’s duty to limit power-plant emissions; after proposing to rescind it and repealing Biden-era power-plant emissions standards, the agency issued this supplemental proposal without having finalized the finding’s repeal.

The coalition argues that the Clean Air Act and court decisions require regulation under Section 111, and that claims such regulation would be futile are impermissible; it also says the proposal inadequately explains the EPA’s policy shift and fails to assess effects on pollution, grid reliability and electricity affordability.

In the coalition’s view, rescinding the finding would effectively abandon Section 111 of the Clean Air Act and block future federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel power plants.

The U.S. power sector produces about a quarter of domestic greenhouse gas emissions and is the country’s largest stationary source, while uncontrolled emissions could worsen threats to California, including heat waves, wildfires, storms, flooding, disease and ecosystem damage.

The article points to the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County, which killed at least 30 people, destroyed more than 16,000 homes and other structures, and damaged over 37,000 acres, as well as recent coastal flooding linked to rising sea levels and ocean warming.

Bonta said the proposal disregards climate science and puts fossil fuel industry interests ahead of people facing climate impacts such as wildfires, extreme heat and flooding.