RICHMOND, Va.– A judge in Floyd County, Virginia, ruled on Wednesday that Gov. Glenn Youngkinâ€s attempt to pull Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is unlawful. RGGI, which includes nearly every Northeast and Mid-Atlantic state, caps carbon emissions from power plants and puts a price on that pollution, generating revenue for energy efficiency and climate resiliency programs. After Virginiaâ€s General Assembly approved the commonwealthâ€s entry into the program, former Gov. Ralph Northam signed that legislation into law in March 2020. The judge said that, “the only body with the authority to repeal the RGGI regulation would be the General Assembly.â€Â
The Youngkin administration issued an executive order calling on the Air Pollution Control Board to exit the program and in June 2023, air board appointees voted to exit the program, citing the cost of electricity.Â
In response, Environment Virginia Research & Policy Center State Director Elly Boehmer Wilson released the following statement:
“This court decision affirms that power plants canâ€t pollute our air without consequences and defends a program that directly contributes to cleaner, healthier air and a more livable future for all Virginians. RGGI has been one of Virginiaâ€s best tools to slash the pollution thatâ€s contributing to climate change and fund other solutions.Â
“RGGI has generated more than $827.7 million in revenue for energy efficiency and climate resiliency projects in Virginia from 2021 and 2023. This ruling means Virginia retains a critical tool to address one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century.â€
