Aug 18, 2022 2 min read

Pennsylvania’s Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a win for the state’s workers, businesses, families and lands. RGGI would limit harmful carbon pollution from dirty power plants, boost local economies, and position the state as a leader in the next generation of energy production.

But RGGI opponents in the state Legislature are advocating for the coal and fracking industries with a relentless campaign to block this successful program through the courts. Doing so keeps hundreds of millions of dollars in investments out of our communities.

Because RGGI would require power companies to pay for the pollution they cause, it will generate billions of dollars over the next several years that could be used to invest in Pennsylvania’s clean energy future. Many of our once bustling main streets are desolated, but RGGI will provide a boost for Pennsylvania’s business owners and entrepreneurs. A lot of the money generated by the initiative will come directly into communities like ours – those who have been most impacted by absentee corporations that care more about their bottom lines than the communities they operate in.

A recent Supreme Court decision (EPA v. West Virginia) will significantly hamper the federal government’s ability to regulate carbon emissions. That means the onus is on the states to find ways to combat climate change.

Southwestern Pennsylvania has powered the country with coal for decades, but it’s expected to become less than 1% of Pennsylvania’s energy portfolio by 2030 – regardless of our participation in RGGI. Pennsylvania’s continued participation in the successful RGGI program will ensure the energy jobs of the future are available in all our communities – that’s an opportunity Pennsylvania can’t pass up.

Nina Victoria

Policy Fellow, The Center for Coalfield Justice