The Supreme Court broke with its usual slow and deliberative process in 2016 when it abruptly blocked President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan. Acting on an emergency request and without hearing oral arguments, the justices issued a brief and unexplained order halting the policy. Newly obtained internal memos reveal that Chief Justice John Roberts pushed for swift action, arguing the plan would cause substantial and irreversible changes to the nation's energy sector.

The documents show little of the careful debate that typically defines the court's work. Instead, the justices exchanged hurried and sometimes testy notes while scattered around the world during a winter recess. With the court divided between liberal and conservative members, Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the निर्णing vote, concluding that the policy would likely be struck down eventually and should be paused immediately.

The episode marked a turning point in the court's use of emergency rulings, often referred to as the shadow docket. Since then, the justices have increasingly relied on this fast-track process, issuing consequential temporary decisions without full briefing or argument. The shift has had significant political impact, granting President Donald Trump numerous victories on immigration, federal funding and executive authority, and reshaping how the court exercises its power.