UPDATED 9.1.2016 with additional information about amicus parties;
UPDATED 1.28.2016 with additional information about the parties;
UPDATED 12.29.2015 with additional information about the petitions and parties;
UPDATED 12.7.2015 with additional information about the petitions and parties;
UPDATED 11.4.2015 with additional motions to stay and petitions for review, and list of parties that have moved to intervene;
UPDATED 10.29.2015 to add briefing schedule on motions for stay.
On Monday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order consolidating the cases challenging the Clean Power Plan under the caption State of West Virginia, et al. v. EPA.
As the challenges to EPA’s Clean Power Plan mount, so do the requests for a stay of the rule. Parties are seeking a stay because the mere act of bringing a challenge to the EPA’s rulemaking does not stop the clock on the rule’s deadline. Rather, parties must request, and the agency or court must grant, a stay pending the court’s review.
The parties making these motions bear a heavy burden. Pursuant to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ Rules of Procedure, a party seeking a stay from the court must file a motion discussing whether it requested relief from the EPA and address the following factors: (i) the likelihood that the moving party will prevail on the merits; (ii) the prospect of irreparable injury to the moving party if relief is withheld; (iii) the possibility of harm to other parties if relief is granted; and (iv) the public interest. The bar is high, and courts rarely grant such relief.
EPA’s (and intervenors’) responses are due by November 2, 2015— unless the court decides to act sooner (unlikely) or to change the response date. Given the number of motions filed, EPA will likely file a request to extend the response date. Replies will be due 7 days after the response(s) are filed. Because this is a contentious issue (and the court previously briefed and held oral argument in Murray Energy Corp. et al. v. EPA, the cases that unsuccessfully challenged EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan) it would not be surprising if the court decides to hold oral argument before issuing an order on the motions for stay of the final rule.
On October 29, 2015, the court issued an order consolidating the motions for stay for purposes of briefing, and setting a briefing schedule. Any further motions for stay must be filed by Nov. 5, 2015; EPA has until Dec. 3, 2015 to file a consolidated response; intervenors in support of EPA have until Dec. 8, 2015 to file their response; and the parties that originally filed the motions have until Dec. 23, 2014 to file their replies.
Below are a list of the currently filed motions for stay (with information on which petitioners joined which motion), and a table of the petitions that have been filed to date.
Motions for Stay:
- State Petitioners’ Motion for Stay and for Expedited Consideration of Petition for Review (Petitioners in Case No. 15-1363)
- Motion of Utility and Allied Petitioners for Stay of Rule (Petitioners in Case Nos. 15-1365, 15-1370, 15-1371, 15-1372, 15-1373, 15-1374, 15-1375, 15-1376, 15-1377, 15-1378)
- Coal Industry Motion for Stay (Petitioners in Case Nos. 15-1366, 15-1367, 15-1368)
- Motion for Stay of EPA’s Final Rule (Petitioners in Case No. 15-1382)
- Petitioner Oklahoma’s Motion for Stay of EPA’s Existing Source Performance Standards for Electric Generating Units (Petitioner in Case No. 15-1364)
- Petitioner State of North Dakota’s Motion for Stay of EPA’s Final Rule (Petitioner in Case No. 15-1380)
Petitions for Review:
Party(ies) | Case No. |
(LEAD CASE)
The States of West Virginia, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming; the Commonwealth of Kentucky; the Attorney General for the State of Michigan; the State of Arizona Corporation Commission, and the Departments of Environmental Quality of the states of Louisiana and North Carolina |
15-1363 |
The State of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality | 15-1364 |
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers, AFL-CIO | 15-1365 |
Murray Energy Corporation | 15-1366 |
National Mining Association | 15-1367 |
American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity | 15-1368 |
Utility Air Regulatory Group and American Public Power Association | 15-1370 |
Alabama Power Company, Georgia Power Company, Gulf Power Company, and Mississippi Power Company | 15-1371 |
CO2 Task Force of the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group, Inc. | 15-1372 |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a Division of MDU Resources Group, Inc. | 15-1373 |
Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, Inc. | 15-1374 |
United Mine Workers of America | 15-1375 |
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association; Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Big Rivers Electric Corporation; Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; Buckeye Power, Inc.; Central Montana Electric Power Cooperative; Central Power Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Corn Belt Power Cooperative; Dairyland Power Cooperative; Deseret Generation & Transmission Cooperative; East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc.; East River Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Georgia Transmission Corporation; Golden Spread Electrical Cooperative, Inc.; Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.; North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation; Northeast Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative; Oglethorpe Power Corporation; PowerSouth Energy Cooperative; Prairie Power, Inc.; Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; Sam Rayburn G&T Electric Cooperative, Inc.; San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc.; South Mississippi Electric Power Association; South Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Southern Illinois Power Cooperative; Sunflower Electric Power Corporation; Tex-La Electric Cooperative of Texas, Inc.; Upper Missouri G. & T. Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Wabash Valley Power Association, Inc.; Western Farmers Electric Cooperative; and Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. | 15-1376 |
Westar Energy, Inc. | 15-1377 |
NorthWestern Corporation d/b/a NorthWestern Energy | 15-1378 |
National Association of Home Builders | 15-1379 |
State of North Dakota | 15-1380 |
Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, National Association of Manufacturers, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Business, American Chemistry Council, American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute, American Foundry Society, American Forest & Paper Association, American Iron & Steel Institute, American Wood Council, Brick Industry Association, Electricity Consumers Resource Council, Lignite Energy Council, National Lime Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, and Portland Cement Association | 15-1382 |
Association of American Railroads | 15-1383 |
Luminant Generation Company, LLC, Oak Grove Management Company, LLC, Big Brown Power Company, LLC, Sandow Power Company, LLC, Big Brown Lignite Company, LLC, Luminant Mining Company, LLC, and Luminant Big Brown Mining Company, LLC | 15-1386
|
Basin Electric Power Cooperative | 15-1393 |
Energy & Environment Legal Institute | 15-1398 |
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality | 15-1409 |
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO | 15-1410 |
Entergy Corporation | 15-1413 |
LG&E and KU Energy, LLLC | 15-1418 |
West Virginia Coal Association | 15-1422 |
Newmont Nevada Energy Investment, LLC and Newmont USA Limited | 15-1432 |
The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities- Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas | 15-1442 |
The North American Coal Corporation | 15-1451 |
Indiana Utility Group | 15-1459 |
Louisiana Public Service Commission | 15-1464 |
Gen-On Mid-Atlantic, LLC, Indian River Power LLC, Louisiana Generating LLC, Midwest Generation LLC, NRG Chalk Point LLC, NRG Power Midwest LP, NRG Rema LLC, NRG Texas Power LLC, NRG Wholesale Generation LP, and Vienna Power LLC |
15-1470 |
Prairie State Generating Company |
15-1472 |
Minnesota Power | 15-1474 |
Denbury Onshore, LLC |
15-1475 |
The Energy-Intensive Manufacturers Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Regulation | 15-1477 |
Local Government Coalition for Renewable Energy | 15-1483 |
The Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, the Independence Institute, the Rio Grande Foundation, the Sutherland Institute, Klaus J. Christoph, Samuel R. Damewood, Catherine C. Dellin, Joseph W. Luquire, Lisa R. Markham, Patrick T. Peterson, and Kristi Rosenquist | 15-1488 |
Note: On January 21, 2015 the court issued an order severing from West Virginia v. EPA, Case Nos. 15-1478 (National Alliance of Forest Owners), 15-1479 (Biogenic CO2 Coalition), 15-1485 (American Forest & Paper Association, Inc. and American Wood Council), which seek review of issues related to CO2 emissions from the biomass combustion (“biogenic emissions”). The petitions have been consolidated under the case name American Forest & Paper Association et al. v. EPA and are being held in abeyance pending EPA’s decision on the parties’ petitions for reconsideration.
Amici Curiae:
In Support of Petitioners: | In Support of Respondent-EPA: |
166 State and Local Business Associations
60Plus Association, Federalism in Action, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Independent Women’s Forum, National Taxpayers Union, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance Consumers’ Research Former State Public Utility Commissioners: Congressman Kevin Cramer, David Armstrong, Randall Bynum, Charles Davidson, Jeff Davis, Mark David Goss, Robert Hix, Terry Jarrett, Larry Landis, Jon McKinney, Carl Miller, Polly Page, Anthony Rachal III, Dr. Edward Salmon, Joan Smith, Jim Sullivan, David Wright, and Tom Wright Joseph S. D’Aleo, Dr. Harold H. Doiron, Dr. Don J. Easterbrook, Dr. Theodore R. Eck, Dr. Gordon J. Fulks, Dr. William M. Gray, Dr. Craig D. Idso, Dr. Richard A. Keen, Dr. Anthony R. Lupo, Dr. Thomas P. Sheahen, Dr. S. Fred Singer, Dr. James P. Wallace III Landmark Legal Foundation Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Pacific Legal Foundation, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Morning Star Packing Company, Merit Oil Company, Loggers Association of Northern California, and Norman R. “Skip” Brown Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. Philip Zoebisch Southeastern Legal Foundation State of Nevada and Consumers’ Research |
Adobe, Inc., Mars, Incorporated, IKEA North America Services LLC, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc., Apple Inc., Google Inc., and Microsoft Corp. American Thoracic Society, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Medical Association, American College of Preventive Medicine, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care, and American Public Health Association Benjamin F. Hobbs, Brendan Kirby, Kenneth J. Lutz, James D. McCalley, and Brian Parsons Catholic Climate Covenant et al. Citizens Utility Board, Consumers Union, and Public Citizen, Inc David Battisti, Marshall Burke, Ken Caldiera, Noah Diffenbaugh, William E. Easterling III, Christopher Field, John Harte, Jessica Hellmann, Daniel Kirk-Davidoff, David Lobell, Pamela Matson, Katherine Mach, James C. Mcwilliams, Mario J. Molina, Michael Oppenheimer, Jonathan Overpeck, Scott R. Saleska, Noelle Eckley Selin, Drew Shindell, and Steven Wofsy Dominion Resources, Inc. Former State Energy and Environment Officials: Matt Baker, Janet Gail Besser, Ron Binz, Michael H. Dworkin, Jeanne Fox, Dian Grueneich, Roger Hamilton, Paul Hibbard, Karl Rábago, Barbara Roberts, Cheryl Roberto, Jim Roth, Kelly Speakes-Backman, Larry Soward, Sue Tierney, Jon Wellinghoff, and Kathy Watson Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law Leon G. Billings and Thomas C. Jorling, former members of Senate staff National League of Cities; the U.S. Conference of Mayors; Ann Arbor, MI; Arlington County, VA; Aurora, IL; Baltimore, MD; Bellingham, WA; Berkeley, CA; Bloomington, IN; Boise, ID; Boston, MA; Boulder County, CO; Carmel, IN; Clarkston, GA; Coral Gables, FL; Cutler Bay, FL; Elgin, IL; Eugene, OR; Evanston, IL; Fort Collins, CO; Grand Rapids, MI; Henderson, NV; Highland Park, IL; Hoboken, NJ; Houston, TX; Jersey City, NJ; King County, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Madison, WI; Miami, FL; Miami Beach, FL; Milwaukie, OR; Minneapolis, MN; Missoula, MT; Newburgh Heights, OH; Oakland, CA; Pinecrest, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, ME; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Reno, NV; Rochester, NY; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; Tucson, AZ; Washburn, WI; West Chester, PA; West Hollywood, CA; West Palm Beach, FL; and the Mayors of Dallas, TX and Knoxville, TN, and Orlando, FL Madeline K. Albright, Secretary of State (1997-2001); Leon E. Panetta, Secretary of Defense (2011-2013), Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2009-2011); William J. Burns, Deputy Secretary of State (2001-2014), U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2005-2008) Select Current Members of Congress and Select Bipartisan Former Members of Congress Service Employees International Union Sustainable Business Associations Union of Concerned Scientists William D. Ruckelshaus and William K. Reilly, former EPA Administrators |
Intervenors in Support of Petitioners:
Dixon Bros., Inc.
Gulf Coast Lignite Coalition
Joy Global Inc.
Nelson Bros., Inc.
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Peabody Energy Corporation
Wesco International, Inc.
Intervenors in Support of Respondent-EPA:
American Lung Association
American Wind Energy Association
Broward County, Florida
Calpine Corporation
Center for Biological Diversity
City of Austin, d/b/a Austin Energy
City of Boulder
City of Chicago
City of New York
City of Philadelphia
City of Seattle
City of South Miami
Clean Air Council
Clean Wisconsin
Coal River Mountain Watch
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Commonwealth of Virginia
Conservation Law Foundation
District of Columbia
Environmental Defense Fund
Kanawha Forest Coalition
Keepers of the Mountains Foundation
Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition
National Grid Generation, LLC
Nextera Energy, Inc.
Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Sierra Club
Solar Energy Industries Association
State of California
State of Connecticut
State of Delaware
State of Hawaii
State of Illinois
State of Iowa
State of Maine
State of Maryland
State of Minnesota
State of New Hampshire
State of New Mexico
State of New York
State of Oregon
State of Rhode Island
State of Vermont
State of Washington
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy