I strongly oppose regulatory actions to remove our state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  My reasons are as follows:

1) The current effort to circumvent the existing law which placed us as a state in this organization must be defeated because a regulatory action can not take the place of legislative action which created a legally binding membership in this group.

2) Our participation in RGGI currently brings our state millions of dollars of revenue to specifically address flooding and other climate change effects in our state.  We are making money doing the right thing.  There is no proposed alternative for this revenue and its use in these projects by the governor.  We would be leaving such funding on the table and the need unmet.  Crazy!

3)  We need all the help we can get quickly addressing pollution from fossil fuels which affects our climate.  This summer with wildfire smoke is an obvious, current example of climate effects.  Our participation in RGGI is an effort that is important and immediate and should under NO circumstances be rolled back.  We cannot afford to lose ground as a state or a nation on this dire situation of climate impacts.

4) Virginia's participation in RGGI clearly meets the needs and will of the people of Virginia.  The effort to remove us appears to be based on other grounds and should not be allowed to supercede the interests of the people of the Commonwealth.

Thank you for this opportunity to give input.  Do not remove us from RGGI.