Despite a storm of press this week on delays in an EPA greenhouse gas report, the Environmental Protection Agency says it will maintain its May 26, 2012 deadline for releasing final environmental standards on polluting gases blamed for global warming.

“EPA has engaged in an extensive and open public process to gather the latest and best information prior to proposing carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, one of the largest stationary sources of carbon pollution,” the EPA said in a statement to AOL Energy.

According to the EPA, a wide range of stakeholders have presented their views, and in order to fully consider the range of opinions the agency will extend the publication of its proposals from the initial July 26, 2011 to September 30. That delay will not impact the implementation deadline set for next year.

The impending EPA proposals have already kicked up some dust in the industry, with utility American Electric Power (AEP) announcing that it would retire nearly 6,000 MW of coal-fueled electricity generation by the end of 2014.

Picture: EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testifies about the impact of EPA regulation on agriculture during a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on March 10, 2011 in Washington, DC.