Following the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board’s (EQB) vote Tuesday approving Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Republican representatives from both the House and Senate expressed their disappointment and concerns with the decision.
Under the proposed regulation, electric power plants that emit carbon dioxide will be required to obtain credits compatible with other states participating in RGGI. The EQB states that this is a crucial step in Pennsylvania’s fight against climate change. However, opponents say enacting RGGI essentially implements a carbon tax that would drive industry out of Pennsylvania, resulting in severe economic consequences for the Commonwealth.
The vote in the EQB was 13 to 6. The proposed regulation will now be reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General and a public comment and participation period will be announced at a later date.
“I’m extremely disappointed, but not surprised by the vote today,” said state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), chairman of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “As I said from the beginning, there are a lot of unanswered questions as to what entering RGGI would entail for the citizens of Pennsylvania. Perhaps the most important is ‘cost.’ How is this going to impact industry? How many jobs will be lost? What are the impacts on ratepayers?”
Yaw stated that many of these questions remain unanswered because of the EQB’s lack of transparency, voting against several motions that would have guaranteed public, in-person hearings, particularly in the highly impacted Indiana County. The board also voted not to support increasing the initial public comment period longer than 60 days.
“I support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is worth noting that, since RGGI began trading allowances in 2009, the current 10 RGGI states have reduced carbon emissions by 23 percent, while Pennsylvania has reduced carbon emissions by 29 percent,” Yaw said. “This was accomplished all without government mandate and at great savings to consumers.”
House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Majority Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) led the committee in sending a letter Tuesday directing the Independent Regulatory Review Commission to reject the EQB’s vote.
“DEP’s decision to plow forward with these new fees and fee increases at this moment when so many Pennsylvanians are hurting and unemployed and when so many of our businesses are struggling to survive and these vital decisions are being made is completely unacceptable,” Metcalfe wrote. “It is the role of government to do everything it can to aid in our economic recovery by doing everything it can to help the business community at this time. This regulation would do the absolute opposite at this critical time by putting up clear signs that Pennsylvania is not open for businesses and investment.”