I strongly oppose the Youngkin administration’s Notice of Intended Regulatory Action to withdraw Virginia from the RGGI.  This is a short-sighted and destructive move by the administration.

Mandated by law in 2020, in just one year of implementation, Virginia’s RGGI program generated $228 million.  Virginians are already reaping the benefits through low-income energy efficiency programs, that include weatherization services, energy-efficient affordable housing, and community flood preparedness projects.  Additionally, everyone benefits from clean air.

Indeed, the DEQ in March 2022, reported that the RGGI has reduced emissions since the beginning of the program and the Acadia Center reported in 2019 that participating states in the ten years since its inception, had realized $5.7 billion in public health benefits.

RGGI works and it works well for all Virginians. To abandon this program would harm flood-prone communities, low-income individuals and families, and anyone who breathes.