By NIINA H. FARAH. Politico, 01/18/2024 06:10 PM EST
The stage is set for the Supreme Court to make it even harder for the Biden administration to defend its climate and energy policies in courts across the country.
A potentially blockbuster ruling expected to come this summer is likely to set limits to a legal theory known as the Chevron doctrine, which tells judges to favor federal agencies’ readings of ambiguous laws, as long as those interpretations are reasonable.
The high court’s rulings in Relentless v. Department of Commerce and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo hold broad implications for just about any kind of agency action — and could make judges less likely to acknowledge federal agencies’ authority to limit planet-warming pollution.
That would put a dent in President Joe Biden’s climate agenda, providing fuel for expected legal challenges on everything from EPA’s efforts to limit power plant pollution to the Department of Energy’s planned efficiency standards for a range of household appliances.
How far will the court go?
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