On Friday, Commonwealth Court granted a preliminary injunction that delays the state entering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative pending further court action.
The move to enter RGGI was an executive action from Governor Tom Wolf. Proponents of the multi-state compact say that it will play a key part in reducing carbon emissions in Pennsylvania, and speed up the state’s transition to a clean-energy-based economy, but opponents say that it is meant to force coal-fired power plants to close, make electricity more expensive for state residents, and cause the state to lose jobs. The initiative would force fossil-fuel-fired power plants to pay a price for every ton of carbon dioxide emitted. The plan was to have started on July 1st, but Friday’s injunction has halted that plan, at least temporarily.
Senator Joe Pittman has been one of the more vocal opponents to the plan, saying it would be devastating to the people he serves. He was also against how the Governor’s initiative was implemented without going to the state legislature for approval. He called the news of the injunction positive for the state’s citizens, but there is still a long way to go in this legal battle.
Pittman also hopes that the Governor in the future will engage with the legislature and come up with a proper energy policy that will help everyone.
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