"EPA data shows pollution bumps that are among the largest in decades, just as the agency rolls back rules cracking down on pollution from coal-fired power plants."

"Air pollution from coal-fired power plants spiked in 2025, a striking reversal of long-term progress in air quality as the Trump administration boosted coal use.

The emission increases were among the largest in at least a quarter-century, on a percentage basis, as the bulk of about 210 power plants registered increased sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, EPA numbers show.

Releases of sulfur dioxide, a lung-damaging compound key to acid rain formation, soared by more than 18 percent, from about 597,000 tons in 2024 to 705,000 tons in 2025, according to data compiled by POLITICO’s E&E News.

During the same period, the coal-fired power sector’s emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides swelled by some 12 percent, from 464,000 to 521,000 tons."

Sean Reilly reports for E&E News March 10, 2026. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Solar Installations Drop After Trump Guts Subsidies, Tax Breaks" (The Hill) [3]

"U.S. Solar Installations Fell in 2025 as Trump Attacked Clean Energy" (New York Times) [4]