Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Yesterday, the Supreme Court suspended implementation of the Clean Power Plan, siding with a coalition of states, corporations, and state agencies suing the EPA to stop the program. The Clean Power Plan, which took effect in late 2015, sets strict CO2 limits on coal-fired power plants across the country. The effort to reduce power plant emissions will now be on hold until an appellate court hears the case this summer.

This recent step and the suit overall puts most of the Governors and Attorneys General in these states at odds with their own citizens. Majorities of the public in 23 of the 27 states suing the EPA actually support setting strict carbon dioxide emission limits on coal-fired power plants to reduce global warming and improve public health. 61% of adults in all 27 states support the policy according to the Yale Climate Opinion Maps and based on the population of each state.

This is an update to a previous Climate Note published in fall 2015. Note: Mississippi has joined the suit since we did the initial analysis.

Please visit our interactive Yale Climate Opinion Maps to explore more public opinion on climate and energy policy including: regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, requiring utilities to generate at least 20% of their electricity using renewable sources, and other climate change policies and beliefs at the national, state, congressional district, and county levels.