The Supreme Court appeared split Monday during oral arguments challenging the authority of an Obama administration program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from factories and power plants.
The high court decision, expected this spring, is poised to spark renewed debate of the politically charged topic ahead of the November mid-term elections.
Several lawsuits, bundled together into one case, oppose an Environmental Protection Agency program that requires large industrial sources to obtain Clean Air Act permits for their greenhouse gas emissions, which is blamed for global warming. The rule applies to new facilities and existing ones that have been expanded or modified.
The ruling isn't expected to threaten the agency's overall ability to regulate greenhouse gases, as other regulatory tools could be used.
But the challenge provides the high court an opportunity to clarify the agency's authority. A ruling favorable to the EPA could be viewed as validation for the administration's approach, while a decision against the agency would give welcome fodder to the administration's anti-regulation critics.
The court's liberal-leaning justices seemed satisfied that the administration -- through the EPA -- has the legal authority to impose specific regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.
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