The US Supreme Court on Tuesday voted to halt enforcement of President Barack Obama's plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants to address climate change.

In a 5-4 decision, the court granted a request by 27 US states for a temporary hold on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) clean power plan, until the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C.) Circuit decides whether the agency has the legal authority to impose it.

The D.C. Circuit, which denied a similar request in January, has put the case on an expedited schedule, with a hearing set for June 2.

The EPA issued the clean power plan last October, requiring coal-fired power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

But a bipartisan request of 27 states, led by West Virginia and Texas, argued that the EPA exceeded its authority by double regulating coal-fired power plants.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey hailed Tuesday's decision blocking Obama's plan as "a monumental victory."

"We are thrilled that the Supreme Court realized the rule's immediate impact and froze its implementation, protecting workers and saving countless dollars as our fight against its legality continues," Morrisey added.

The White House released a statement saying it "disagree(s) with the Supreme Court's decision" but remains "confident" to prevail in the case.

"The Clean Power Plan is based on a strong legal and technical foundation, gives States the time and flexibility they need to develop tailored, cost-effective plans to reduce their emissions," the statement said.

"The Administration will continue to take aggressive steps to make forward progress to reduce carbon emissions," it added.

The Supreme Court's decision is "deeply disappointing", Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted. "There's no time to spare in the fight to combat climate change," he said.