Environment

Pennsylvania takes the final step toward joining RGGI

Members of Pennsylvania's Environmental Quality Board

Members of Pennsylvania's Environmental Quality Board Commonwealth Media Services

The spotlight in Harrisburg on Wednesday was not on the governor or General Assembly, but the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, or IRRC. The commission voted 3-2 to approve the state’s entrance into Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a collective of states dedicated to reducing carbon emissions by placing restrictions on the amount of carbon emitted by power plants. 

IRRC came to the decision following hours of public comment from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, legislators, union representatives, energy providers, climate advocates and more. 

The regulation, which was approved by the state Environmental Quality Board earlier this year, will set a cap on carbon emissions from power plants that would be lowered each year. 

Carbon-emitting power plants would be required to purchase allowances at state-run auctions to emit carbon, with one allowance required for each ton of carbon emitted and proceeds from allowances would then be used by the state to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. 

“Today’s vote puts Pennsylvania one step closer toward our efforts to achieve these goals and I’m grateful that IRRC recognized the importance of our participation in RGGI,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement. 

Wolf’s 2019 executive order directing DEP to move Pennsylvania towards joining RGGI created an ongoing dispute with the Republican-led General Assembly that says he doesn’t have the power to make the move unilaterally. 

Republicans and RGGI critics expressed concerns with the regulatory process, arguing that Wolf not only lacks the statutory authority to enter the state in the regional program, but that the public hearing process wasn’t open to stakeholders without broadband access during the pandemic. On top of the regulatory issues raised, opponents said the program would do more harm than good. 

State Sen. Joe Pittman, who represents Armstrong, Indiana and other counties in Western Pennsylvania, said that RGGI would destroy his district’s economy that relies on coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants for jobs, property taxes and electricity. 

“This proposed regulation has the ability to cripple our economy and devastate entire

communities,” Pittman said. “Unlike the other nine states in RGGI, Pennsylvania is the second-largest exporter of energy in the nation. Power production in this commonwealth has had the ability to adapt to market conditions and shift with changing environmental goals.”

Wolf’s administration has countered that the regulation is needed in order to address climate change and reduce the state’s carbon footprint. Administration officials said the executive action he took to enter the initiative is permitted under the Air Pollution Control Act.

Pennsylvania currently has the fifth-highest emitting energy sector in the nation. Under RGGI, administration officials said, the commonwealth’s carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 31% compared to 2019 levels. The final form regulation will cap emissions at 78 million tons in 2022 and would be gradually lowered to 58 million tons in 2030.

“Neighboring states are increasing renewable energy targets, maximizing opportunities for energy efficiency, investing in clean energy, and expanding the infrastructure network for electric vehicles,” DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. “They’re taking bold actions, curtailing carbon pollution, improving public health and welfare, and positioning their states for success in an ever-evolving energy sector.” 

While there’s no denying Pennsylvania’s neighbors are taking more steps to combat carbon emissions, RGGI’s benefits on the cost of electricity are still up in the air. 

report by the Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy, one often cited by RGGI opponents, found that consumers would pay up to $2 billion more in electricity costs over nine years. But that’s not the entire picture. 

Those cost increases, when spread out across the state, would be about $43 more per household each year. The report also found that the state would generate nearly $3.5 billion in revenue from the carbon allowances. Those revenues may not go directly into consumers’ pockets, but Wolf and Democrats have introduced legislation that would allocate at least 25% of RGGI proceeds toward developing energy efficiency programs aimed at helping low-income communities with utility assistance. 

Currently, RGGI would go into effect in 2022 and plants would have the next two years to comply. Legislative and legal actions are expected to be taken against the ruling. The House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee, which voted in July to send a letter to IRRC denouncing the regulation, is scheduled to vote on a resolution disapproving the regulation Thursday.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.