Action | Repeal CO 2 Budget Trading Program as required by Executive Order 9 (Revision A22) |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 3/31/2023 |
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Virginians support the RGGI. It will benefit Virginians.
TWO-THIRDS, a bipartisan two-thirds of Virginia voters support RGGI's climate, energy, and economy-focused initiatives. In only the first year of RGGI's operation in our Commonwealth, it has slashed pollution, provided more than $200 million to improve energy efficiency initiatives in low-income communities and to help protect our communities from devastating floods, delivered Virginians $34 million in health benefits annually through avoided hospital visits, and so much more.
RGGI is working to protect families and communities from climate disasters and will help provide savings on energy bills - an estimated average of $676 in annual energy savings per household.
Yet, your administration incorrectly states that RGGI presents a financial burden on Virginians, despite ample evidence that what Virginia faces is structural issues that harm electric ratepayers. Continuing our dependence on increasingly volatile fossil fuels like natural gas are only going to make the problem worse. In fact, RGGI is a proven, market-based program that will help address climate change and hedge against the skyrocketing cost of fossil fuels for all Virginians by promoting investments in a zero-carbon grid.
It does not make sense to play politics with our climate and economic future. If Virginia is to address climate change, invest in cost-saving energy efficiency and shore up our readiness for future flooding disasters, we must keep our stat