On Monday, Governor Tom Wolf vetoed legislation that would have prevented Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
The legislation was a RGGI disapproval resolution that had passed both the state house and senate in late 2021. While the Wolf Administration says that the initiative is meant to help reduce greenhouse gases in the state, and provide a $2 billion economic stimulus for Pennsylvania, opponents to RGGI, including State Representative Jim Struzzi and State Senator Joe Pittman, say that the initiative is nothing more than a tax on carbon dioxide emissions by electricity producers. The two say that if RGGI is implemented, it would result in the closure of some coal-fired power plants, which in turn means the loss of many jobs in Indiana County, and a negative impact on the state’s economy, and would make Pennsylvania an energy importer rather than an exporter.
In a statement after the veto was announced, Pittman said that while he was not surprised by Wolf’s action, he was still disappointed. As the Governor vetoed the resolution, it now heads back to the state house and senate where it will go before both houses for a veto override vote. A two-thirds majority vote is needed in both houses to override the veto. No word yet on when that vote will happen.
