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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 9, 2024 11:25 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative James B. Struzzi, II and Rep. Dallas Kephart |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Eliminating RGGI Regulation |
| When Governor Wolf chose to proceed with promulgating his regulation forcing Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), his action put at risk thousands of family sustaining jobs in our Commonwealth which may be lost due to the closure of coal-fired electric generating units and natural gas plants. It also risked serious economic repercussions to our state, in the form of a potential loss of millions of dollars in local and state tax revenue. We have already seen the start of this come to pass as some coal-fired plants have closed in our state, costing our communities dearly. The jobs that we lose with RGGI in place go directly to our neighboring states who are not a part of RGGI, and our remaining natural gas-fired plants will be put at a competitive disadvantage because of our participation. And further, our participation in RGGI risks increasing electric bills on our constituents who are already feeling the impact of high prices. Thankfully, the Commonwealth Court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the RGGI regulation last summer, finding that there is a serious legal question as to whether the regulation is an unconstitutional tax that could only have been initiated by the General Assembly. When Governor Shapiro was still a candidate for the office, he stated that he had real concerns about the impact that RGGI will have on consumer prices and that he is not sure that RGGI passes the test of protecting and creating energy jobs and ensuring that Pennsylvania has reliable, clean, and affordable power. Unfortunately, he chose to appeal the Commonwealth Court’s decision to the Supreme Court, leaving the RGGI regulation still technically on the books while the appeal is pending. This decision is costing Pennsylvania a fortune in legal fees and leaving our power generating industry in turmoil. Our legislation will eliminate the RGGI regulation and prevent future similar proposals from proceeding without legislative approval, which will protect Pennsylvania energy consumers and save the Commonwealth significant funds in ongoing litigation fees. This legislation aligns with candidate Shapiro’s stated concerns and will allow Governor Shapiro to support union workers and energy consumers throughout the Commonwealth by refocusing Pennsylvania’s energy policies on initiatives that benefit our Commonwealth. Please join us in sponsoring this important bill. |
Memo Updated: December 9, 2024 11:26 AM