HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation to repeal the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) electricity tax enacted through executive order by the Wolf Administration in 2019, said Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37) who supported the measure.
RGGI, a multi-state compact, would increase electricity rates for consumers, cut energy and manufacturing jobs and lead to the closure of Pennsylvania power plants. No new investments in baseload generation have come to Pennsylvania in the five years since the Wolf Administration attempted to enter the state into RGGI.
Last year, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s entrance into RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the General Assembly, not merely through rulemaking promulgated by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Quality Board (EQB). This ruling has been appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court by Gov. Josh Shapiro, and that appeal remains pending.
Gov. Tom Wolf and Gov. Josh Shapiro have faced sharp criticism for pushing Pennsylvania to participate in RGGI despite bipartisan objection from the General Assembly.
Senate Bill 1058 will abrogate the CO2 Budget Trading Program regulation that was promulgated by DEP and EQB.
“The attempted RGGI deal was not only an overreach but also a direct attack on blue-collar energy workers – many of whom live and work in my district in Allegheny County,” Robinson said. “I have heard from these workers time and again, and their message is clear – they want, and they need, commonsense energy policies that balance economic and environmental concerns.”
This legislation comes on the heels of a series of hearings with members of the Ohio General Assembly to discuss PJM and reliability of the mid-Atlantic power grid it manages. PJM projects that 20% of its existing capacity will retire between now and 2030, leaving them without sufficient power to meet the demands of consumers.
Thermal generation retirements, like the recently announced Brandon Shores power plant closure in Maryland, coupled with the threat of RGGI, only further compromise the integrity of the electric grid. Recently, a commissioner from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said the shutdown could cause a “potentially catastrophic” scenario. However, a recent FERC order shows that concerns about the outlook of the region’s power production are being heard.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
CONTACT: Allison Dutrey