President Donald Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced February 12 that EPA finalized a rule eliminating the 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and subsequent federal GHG emission standards for vehicles and engines.
EPA said the rule eliminates the Obama-era Endangerment Finding and “all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.” The agency also eliminated “all off-cycle credits, including for the almost universally hated start-stop feature.”
EPA stated the final rule will save Americans “over $1.3 trillion” by removing regulatory requirements to measure, report, certify, and comply with federal GHG emission standards for motor vehicles and by repealing associated compliance programs and credit provisions. EPA said the action will result in “an average cost savings of over $2,400 per vehicle.”
“The Endangerment Finding has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars in hidden costs for Americans,” Zeldin said.
“Referred to by some as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the ‘climate change religion,’ the Endangerment Finding is now eliminated. The Trump EPA is strictly following the letter of the law, returning commonsense to policy, delivering consumer choice to Americans and advancing the American Dream. As EPA Administrator, I am proud to deliver the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history on behalf of American taxpayers and consumers. As an added bonus, the off-cycle credit for the almost universally despised start-stop feature on vehicles has been removed.”
How the Process Unfolded
President Trump signed Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” on January 20, 2025. The order directed EPA to submit recommendations within 30 days on the legality and continuing applicability of the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
On March 12, 2025, Zeldin announced EPA would begin a formal reconsideration of the finding.
“After 16 years, EPA will formally reconsider the Endangerment Finding,” Zeldin said at the time. “The Trump Administration will not sacrifice national prosperity, energy security, and the freedom of our people for an agenda that throttles our industries, our mobility, and our consumer choice while benefiting adversaries overseas. We will follow the science, the law, and common sense wherever it leads, and we will do so while advancing our commitment towards helping to deliver cleaner, healthier, and safer air, land, and water.”
On July 29, 2025, EPA released a formal proposal to rescind the Endangerment Finding. EPA said the proposal, if finalized, would repeal all resulting greenhouse gas emissions regulations for motor vehicles and engines and save Americans $54 billion annually.
EPA’s Legal Position
EPA stated that Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act does not provide statutory authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles “in the manner previously utilized, including for the purpose of addressing global climate change.”
EPA also published an Endangerment Finding overview document outlining its legal and scientific rationale for reconsideration.
EPA cited multiple Supreme Court decisions issued after 2009, including Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, West Virginia v. EPA, Michigan v. EPA, and Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, as shaping its interpretation of agency authority.
EPA stated the 2009 Endangerment Finding served as the legal prerequisite used by prior administrations to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles and engines.
Public Comment and Scope
EPA conducted a 52-day public comment period on the proposal. The agency held four days of virtual public hearings where more than 600 individuals testified and received approximately 572,000 public comments.
EPA stated the final rule applies only to greenhouse gas emissions and does not affect regulations addressing criteria pollutants or air toxics.
Broader Energy Policy Context
The White House announced a separate energy-related action the same day. In a statement titled “Champion of Beautiful, Clean Coal”: President Trump Celebrates Industry Revival, the White House said President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of War to purchase coal power during a “Champion of Coal” event at the White House.
The White House stated participants honored Trump as the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful, Clean Coal.”
President Trump campaigned on expanding domestic energy production, eliminating electric vehicle mandates, and rolling back climate-related regulations. Executive Order 14154 directed agencies to review regulations that burden domestic energy development. EPA’s final rule follows that directive.
Why It Matters
The 2009 Endangerment Finding formed the legal foundation for federal greenhouse gas regulations under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.
By eliminating the finding, EPA stated it removed the legal basis previously used to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.
EPA stated the rule repeals federal vehicle GHG standards, eliminates associated compliance programs and off-cycle credit systems, and reduces regulatory requirements tied to vehicle emissions.
EPA estimates the action will reduce vehicle costs by more than $2,400 on average and deliver over $1.3 trillion in total savings.