Virginia Reaffirms Commitment to Leave RGGI
Governor Youngkin rejects unnecessary regressive energy tax.
WASHINGTON DC (08/31/2022) – This morning, the Youngkin Administration in Virginia reaffirmed its commitment to exiting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Acting Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, Travis Voyles, appeared in front of a meeting of the State Air Pollution Control Board to reiterate the Governor’s commitment to exiting the program, and to doing so in a manner that maintains regulatory certainty and predictability.
Right after he was inaugurated in January, Governor Youngkin signed an executive order affirming the Governor’s intention of leaving the program, and making clear that the state would begin the process necessary to exit RGGI. That order required the Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate the program’s costs. The review was made public in March and supported the Governor’s claims about the costliness of the program.
AEA President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement:
Governor Youngkin’s commitment to leave RGGI will benefit Virginia families by preventing the costs of this regressive energy tax from being passed to consumers. Before Virginia entered into RGGI, the state was already substantially reducing its emissions, further proof that a top-down approach to environmental protection is unnecessary and expensive. RGGI was little more than a power grab by the previous administration. We applaud Governor Youngkin for protecting Virginia families from unwanted and unnecessary energy taxes.
Additional Resources:
- Youngkin Signals That Virginia is Leaving RGGI
- Will Virginia and Pennsylvania Be in the Regional Greenhouse Initiative Next Year?
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