In a case that could have wide-ranging implications for future US power plants, a federal appeals board has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reconsider a decision not to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from a coal-fired plant in Utah.

On 13 November, the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board rejected environmentalists' claims that the agency must regulate CO2 emissions from a 110-megawatt power plant planned by the Deseret Power Electric Cooperative. But the board also rejected the EPA's argument that it cannot do so because of historical precedent.

The case hinges on a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions from automobiles. Environmental groups contend that the authority should extend to the power sector, too.

Recognizing the precedent, the appeals board recommended that the EPA address the question at the national level. President-elect Barack Obama's campaign has said it would pursue such authority if Congress does not act on global warming.