The Big Story 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its final Good Neighbor Rule, mandating cuts to smog pollution that affects downwind states.

© AP

The rule will govern nitrogen oxide emissions from 23 states and is projected to cut about 70,000 tons of pollutants from power plants by 2026.

A previous proposal would have applied to three more states and cut 24,000 tons of additional pollution.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.) praised the final rule, saying in a statement that “the ‘Good Neighbor’ Plan is about making sure that all states do their part to clean up the air we breathe and I applaud EPA’s work to prioritize the health and well-being of all Americans with this final rule.”

Read the full report at digital-staging.thehill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Essential Reads 

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

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Tens of thousands without power after nor’easter dumps snow on northeast US

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

Mormon church to make massive water contribution to Great Salt Lake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to part with a massive amount of water to help replenish the dwindling Great Salt Lake. The Salt Lake City-based institution, one of the wealthiest …

What We’re Reading 

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• A Congress member’s staff sought help from EPA’s East Palestine hotline after being stonewalled by state officials (Grid)
  
  

• Exxon’s Texas Plant Is Likely the Last Major US Refinery Project (Bloomberg)
  
  

• One State Generates Much, Much More Renewable Energy Than Any Other—and It’s Not California (InsideClimateNews)
  
  

• Russia’s oil revenues fall sharply as the West’s price cap starts to bite, IEA says (CNBC)
  
  
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel No Quick Fix to Greening Air Travel  (The Wall Street Journal)
  

The Hill Event 

The Hill’s Disability Summit, March 29, 1-2 p.m. ET

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), first signed into law in 1990, prohibits discrimination in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities. Yet last year, of the more than 20 million people with disabilities in the United States, only 19 percent were employed. The Hill will convene policymakers and business and nonprofit leaders for a comprehensive discussion on practical solutions to increase employment across the disability community and achieving employment for all. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs panel, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), co-Chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, Rhiannon Parker, chief innovation officer at The Valuable 500, Armando Contreras, president & CEO of United Cerebral Palsy, Day Al-Mohamed, director of disability policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council join. Save your spot now.

On Tap 

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching:

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

In surprise, Trump goes after DeSantis on policy

President Trump has gotten increasingly aggressive in attacking Ron DeSantis (R) as the Florida governor inches toward a presidential campaign, posing potentially the biggest threat to date to Trump’s bid for the GOP’s 2024 nomination. Read more

Romney grills Biden official about Social Security in tense exchange

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) grilled Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), about Social Security during a hearing Wednesday focused on President Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal.  Read more

Opinions in The Hill 

Op-eds related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: