Trump’s EPA Reforms Seen as Major Boost for Manufacturers, but More Red Tape Remains

The Trump administration’s decision to eliminate several Biden-era emissions standards for power plants could provide significant relief to U.S. manufacturers, according to Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). However, Timmons said additional reforms are needed to simplify permitting and provide businesses with greater long-term regulatory certainty.

In a report published Sept. 17, Fox News Digital quoted Timmons as praising Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin’s recent moves to roll back the power-plant emissions regulations. Timmons said the changes sent a signal to manufacturers that the administration was listening to their concerns.

Timmons said NAM and other manufacturing groups had strongly opposed the emissions standards introduced by the Biden administration in 2024, arguing that the implementation timeline was not feasible for many manufacturers. At the same time, he said manufacturers generally support goals such as cleaner air and water and healthier communities, but stressed that the methods used to achieve those goals matter.

According to Fox News, the latest emissions regulations were removed through executive action. Timmons argued, however, that more durable regulatory changes should come through Congress to reduce the uncertainty created when administrations reverse policies.

“Uncertainty is the absolute worst enemy for manufacturers,” Timmons told Fox News Digital, explaining that manufacturers typically make long-term decisions involving strategic planning, product development and research. He said frequent policy changes from one administration to another can create a regulatory “pendulum swing” that complicates long-term investment decisions.

Permitting reform is another area Timmons identified as requiring further action. Fox News cited a NAM survey showing that 80% of manufacturers consider the length and complexity of the permitting process harmful to efforts to increase investment.

The same NAM survey, as reported by Fox News, found that 87% of manufacturers said they would expand operations, hire additional workers or increase wages and benefits if the permitting process were streamlined.

Timmons also called for manufacturers and other businesses to have a greater role in the congressional policymaking process. He said industry representatives should have more opportunities to explain what is practically achievable while policymakers work toward environmental and economic objectives.

Fox News also noted that the Trump administration has pursued other major environmental-policy changes, including a rollback of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the scientific determination that has served as a foundation for federal regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions.

Timmons’ comments reflect the manufacturing industry’s argument that environmental goals and industrial competitiveness do not necessarily have to be treated as opposing objectives. He said manufacturers should be involved in developing practical solutions for cleaner air, cleaner water and healthier communities while maintaining the ability of U.S. businesses to invest, expand and compete.

Source: Fox News