The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear oral testimony today concerning the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, better known as RGGI.
Governor Tom Wolf brought the state into the compact in 2022 through an executive order. It requires fossil fuel plants with capacity greater than 25 megawatts to purchase allowances for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit per year. Opponents to the move say it would increase electricity rates for the consumer, cut manufacturing and energy jobs in the state, and force the closure of some power plants across the state. In 2023, the Commonwealth Court ruled the state’s entry into RGGI could only be accomplished by an act of the General Assembly, not an executive order. That ruling was appealed by Governor Josh Shapiro.
The Power PA Alliance issued a statement ahead of today’s hearing, calling RGGI an “unconstitutional carbon tax”, and said that RGGI is driving investment into states like Ohio and West Virginia. Shawn Steffee with the Boilermakers Local 154 said that since RGGI was proposed, there has not been a new natural gas-powered plant has been built in Pennsylvania, but some of the surrounding states have built plants and drawn jobs out of the commonwealth.
The alliance is asking the state Supreme Court to affirm the Commonwealth Court’s decision to permanently end Pennsylvania’s involvement in RGGI. They say it’s not about denying climate goals, but making sure energy policy respects the rule of law.
