Mercury and Air Toxics Standard—the legality of which is before the U.S. Supreme Court this term—will produce $24 to $80 billion in net economic benefits to U.S. citizens by improving their health. To put these figures in perspective, the profits of the five largest American health insurance companies were a combined $12.7 billion in 2014. In other words, the EPA says the power of its regulatory pen is roughly two to six times more productive than the Big Five health insurers combined.

WASHINGTON, DC – At today’s Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing on “EPA’s Proposed 111(d) Rule for Existing Power Plants: Legal and Cost Issues,” noted legal expert Laurence Tribe, President Obama's constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School, attacked EPA’s so-called Clean Power Plan for its blatant disregard of the constitution. In his testimony, Tribe argues, “EPA lacks the statutory and constitutional authority to adopt its plan,” and describes EPA’s plan as a “power grab” from the states, Congress, and the judiciary branch.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Wednesday said it would delay for months a final rule to control carbon dioxide emissions at new coal-fired power plants, thwarting for now one way the Republican-controlled Congress could have blocked the administration's plans on global warming.

Laurence H. Tribe, professor of constitutional law at Harvard University and former mentor to Barack Obama, said in an article last week that the EPA’s Clean Power Plan is unconstitutional.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal on Dec. 22, Tribe asserted that as a father and grandfather he wants “to leave the Earth in better shape than when I arrived", but that he nonetheless has filed comments with the EPA urging the agency to withdraw the Clean Power Plan.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Citing increased costs brought on by environmental regulations levied under the Obama Administration, Alabama Power Company on Tuesday filed for its first rate increase since 2011. The increase will raise the average household’s monthly bill by $6.78.

Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed tighter limits on emissions of smog-producing ozone, rules designed to reduce asthma and heart disease that critics said they may be among the costliest ever issued by the agency.

The EPA published a proposal today for ground-level ozone, offering to tighten the levels to 65-70 parts per billion, from the current 75 parts per billion for an eight-hour period.

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to weigh a challenge by industry groups and some states to an Obama administration regulation intended to limit emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants mainly from coal-fired power plants.

In a blow to the administration, the justices said in a brief order they would review an April ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that upheld the rule.