In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Community Flood Preparedness Act that committed Virginia to joining RGGI.  To date, the General Assembly has not repealed that law.  Quite simply, that makes Governor Youngkin’s withdrawal from RGGI illegal.  

RGGI is a highly successful program that is cutting carbon emissions and producing revenues to assist low income residents with efficiency improvements and local governments with flood abatement.  Proponents of repeal have not submitted any plan for how to deal with the substantially increased carbon emissions or loss of funds for flood abatement that will result from withdrawal from RGGI.  Rather, the RGGI withdrawal plan appears to be purely political and not based on science, facts, or sound policy.

Again, RGGI is the LAW and DEQ, the Air Board and the Governor DO NOT have the authority to withdraw the Commonwealth from RGGI.