The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to block the Clean Power Plan, the main component of the Obama Administration's proposal to limit climate change.

In a 5-4 vote, judges sided with a coalition of 27 mainly Republican-dominated states who have been highly critical of the plan, which would force power plants to curb carbon dioxide emissions.

The ruling comes as a surprise, as last month a federal appeals court decided not to put the plan on hold. According to the judges, the plan will be halted until a final decision on the legality of it is reached.

Fierce opposition

Among the states that led the anti-Clean Power Plan coalition were coal producer West Virginia and oil producer Texas. Along with several companies, the states launched a legal challenge to the plan in October.

More than a dozen other states have argued in favor of the plan, and the regulations which were issued last summer by the Environmental Protection Agency were a key component of Obama's efforts to reduce overal US greenhouse gas emissions.

The court will make the final decision on the plan's legality on June 2.

blc/bw (Reuters, AP, AFP)