A federal appeals court may have handed the Obama administration a New Year’s election gift, ensuring the President won’t be forced to choose between electricity price spikes and his environmental constituency this summer.

The US Court of Appeals in Washington stayed the Environmental Protection Agency rule tightening caps on sulfur and nitrogen oxides, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), late on Dec. 30. The court told EPA to keep using the Clean Air Interstate Rule temporarily.
CAIR was written in 2005 by the Bush administration, invalidated by the court in 2008, and left it in effect until a new rule could be written. So 2012 will be the fourth year governed by CAIR standards. Keep reading →