W. Va. AG Hopes Supreme Court Will Curb EPA Authority, Prevent It From Becoming a ‘Central Energy Planning Authority’

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey told The Epoch Times in an interview that he hopes the Supreme Court will use an upcoming case to rein in the far-reaching powers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to shut down carbon dioxide-generating industries without regard to the economic well-being of those affected. The problem is the EPA is trying to transform itself from “an environmental regulator into a central energy planning authority,” said Morrisey, a Republican. Morrisey is referring to the case known as West Virginia v. EPA, court file 20-1530, which the Supreme Court will hear Feb. 28. West Virginia is a major coal-, natural gas-, and crude oil-producing state. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, West Virginia was fifth among U.S. states in energy production in 2019, accounting for 5 percent of the nation’s total. In 2020, it was the second-largest coal producer in the country, after …