The PA Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on Wednesday approved a letter that will be sent to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission that opposes Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, better known as RGGI.
Governor Tom Wolf, who signed an executive order to force the state to join the initiative, said that the move will help invest in the workforce, further the state’s climate goals and mitigate ongoing damage from climate change. The cap-and-trade program would force power plants to purchase credit or “allowances” for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit, with the proceeds allocated back to the participating states. However, the initiative is seen by opponents like Senator Joe Pittman and State Representative Jim Struzzi as detrimental to the Commonwealth, as it will jeopardize thousands of jobs in the state and bring about higher electricity rates.
In his remarks before the committee yesterday, Pittman said the letter that is being sent is important because it represents many people that would be negatively affected by the initiative.
Pittman also said that RGGI itself was a “house of cards”, as there is no stability behind the initiative.
Pittman also said that since the executive order was signed, Wolf has not come to his district to discuss this with the people who would be affected, and he said that if it goes through, the Department of Environmental Protection said power production will shift to West Virginia and Ohio.
