NRDC - US Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Up 18% YOY In 2025; 24% Increase For 71 Plants That Requested Pollution Exemptions

[hatrack]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that pollution from coal plants spiked 18 percent last year, with those plants that were given a presidential exemption surging on average almost twice as much as their counterparts. “President Trump gave coal plants a free pass to pollute, and they took him up on the offer,” said Amanda Levin, director of policy analysis at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “With no cop on the beat to make sure the owners of these plants ran their pollution controls effectively, they ignored the health of their surrounding communities to save a few bucks on their costs. The rest of us will pay with our health.”

Levin examined the 2025 power plant emissions data, which the EPA quietly posted on its website this month. It shows that sulfur dioxide pollution increased by the second most it ever has over the last 30 years—only behind the post-COVID snapback in 2021.

The increase in sulfur dioxide emissions indicates that these plants also spewed more toxic pollutants like mercury out of their smokestacks. This pollution increased more than the plants increased their power generation, a sign that the plant owners dialed back or turned off the pollution controls on their plants more last year.

EDIT

The 71 U.S. coal plants that sought and received a presidential exemption from the Mercury and Air Toxics standards increased their sulfur dioxide emissions over 71,000 tons, a 24 percent increase in that pollution. The rest of the U.S. coal fleet increased their emissions by 12.6 percent, half that of the exempted plants, the EPA data shows. Texas saw the biggest spike in sulfur dioxide pollution from power plants last year—with emission increasing by more than 20,000 tons year-over-year. And this extra pollution can be tied to the six power plants that received presidential exemptions.

EDIT

https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/coal-pollution-spiked-after-trump-administrations-free-pass-pollute

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Hello! Sulfur Dioxide!