HELENA — A Montana legislative subcommittee has halted its work on tracking the federal Clean Power Plan. The move follows last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that put the plan on hold.
After the high court’s stay, Gov. Steve Bullock also suspended the work of an advisory council focused on responding to coal-related directives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA plan requires states to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, including the Colstrip plant, the second-largest west of the Mississippi River.
Montana’s target emission-rate cuts are the steepest in the nation at 47 percent by 2030.
The subcommittee had met only twice — in September and January.
The panel was supposed to meet March 10, but that hearing has been cancelled.