Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Environmental Quality
 
Board
Air Pollution Control Board
 
chapter
Regulation for Emissions Trading [9 VAC 5 ‑ 140]
Action Repeal CO 2 Budget Trading Program as required by Executive Order 9 (Revision A22)
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 10/26/2022
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9/26/22  1:53 pm
Commenter: Lorna Gagneux

I strongly support Virginia's participation in RGGI.
 

Communities all across the Commonwealth are being impacted by flooding, and Virginia’s RGGI proceeds represent the first dedicated stream of state funding to help localities prevent and protect against the significant damage it causes. Local governments and Native American tribes can apply for funding for flood-protection planning and projects. In Virginia, hundreds of thousands of households face crippling energy bills.

Despite what weatherization improvements can provide, Virginia has long backlogs of eligible households whose weatherization upgrades cannot be completed until certain other repairs have been made such as leaky roofs or faulty wiring. A survey of all 17 weatherization providers in Virginia found that almost 1 in 5 homes had to be deferred. In some areas, the problem is even more acute. On the Eastern Shore for example, three-quarters of eligible homes have repair issues preventing these much-needed weatherization upgrades. Virginia’s RGGI funds are being used to fill this gap—allowing these repairs to be made so that federal funds can then be used to complete the energy saving weatherization measures. This is the only source of funding available for this use. Virginia's participation in

RGGI is law, which is currently creating more energy efficient affordable housing units, helping low-income families reduce energy bills, and enhancing community flood prevention and protection efforts. It’s a great start, but we must continue to support this law to participate in RGGI.

CommentID: 131844