It is critical for Virginia to stay in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) for many reasons. First of all, this repeal is unlawful—the 2020 law mandates that VA participate in RGGI.

More importantly, RGGI is key to reaching Virginia’s greenhouse gas reduction goals and it is providing essential funding for extremely beneficial programs.

Since the program started, states in RGGI have reduced their emissions by 50%—twice as fast as the nation as a whole—and raised over $500 million in Virginia alone to invest in communities all over the state.  If Virginia continues to participate in the RGGI program through 2030, it is estimated that the combined total revenue over the decade (2021-2030) will be in the range of $2.5 - $3.3 billion.

These proceeds provide essential funding for flood resiliency and energy efficiency programs, improving the health and safety of Virginia residents, and are making a huge impact where I live in the City of Roanoke.

Just last year, some of these funds were awarded as a grant to the City of Roanoke to create a Resiliency Plan. This grant came through the Community Flood Preparedness Fund, which is where around half of the funds from RGGI are placed. As droughts and floods continue to increase due to climate change, this funding will be critical in protecting Roanoke and our state against the harmful impacts to come. It is estimated that flooding damages will cost Virginia $79 billion if left unchecked.

The other half of the proceeds from RGGI go to low-income energy efficiency programs, which in this area goes to groups such as Total Action for Progress (TAP) for their weatherization programs.

Although the national Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is federally funded, these funds are frequently insufficient or not allowed to be used to correct necessary repairs, causing eligible homes to be deferred. A recent survey found that 1 in 5 households that apply and are eligible for weatherization services are deferred due primarily to larger repairs being needed first, such as roofing and electrical work.  

Unless funds are provided to address these issues, over 20% of eligible homes in our state will not receive necessary weatherization services.

To help this problem, the Weatherization Deferral and Repair (WDR) program was created using funds from RGGI, so that homes could receive necessary repairs to then be weatherized.

TAP used to defer around 20 homes a year, yet with RGGI funding, last year they only had to defer 3 homes.

Since joining RGGI, the funds have provided over $250 million to the WDR and other energy efficiency programs, and there are no alternative funding sources available—the proceeds from RGGI just last year exceeded all funding sources for energy efficiency programs combined.

While new federal funding will help make more homes energy-efficient, those funds will likely be unattainable to low-income households who cannot afford the upfront costs required. Additionally, Governor Youngkin’s proposed budget does not provide any new funding for low-income energy efficiency programs.  RGGI dollars are truly the only answer the most vulnerable Virginia families have to their problems.

By being able to weatherize these homes, not only do more individuals and families in need receive services, but carbon emissions are reduced, energy bills are lowered, and homes become healthier and safer.

Our participation in RGGI provides the City of Roanoke and the state as whole vital funding for these programs to reach our most vulnerable citizens and makes us all more resilient to the negative effects of climate change and we can’t afford to have these funds disappear—especially as extreme weather events continue to increase.

More than two-thirds of Virginians support RGGI, and is it proven that RGGI is working great for Virginia.