Earlier Today, Commonwealth Court has ruled that Pennsylvania’s entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was unconstitutional.
Pennsylvania’s entrance into the multi-state compact was part of an executive order issued by former Governor Tom Wolf in 2019 that would require fossil-fuel based power plants to pay a tax on every ton of carbon dioxide emissions should they go over a certain limit. Opponents to Wolf’s initiative said that this was done without the consent of the Legislative branch of the government, which they felt was unconstitutional. They also have said that if the state joined RGGI, there would be no financial benefit to state residents and the cost of electricity would increase dramatically. Opponents also said that RGGI would force the closure of power plants in the state and make the state an energy buyer instead of an energy supplier.
In a statement, Senator Joe Pittman said, “Wolf’s decision in 2019 to unilaterally force Pennsylvania to join RGGI was a failed, painful, harmful and unconstitutional policy,” and that the state’s participation in RGGI could only be approved by a legislative act. The decision by the Commonwealth Court now means that the state can “move forward to determine the best legislative solution to foster greater energy independence, while ensuring the responsible development of our God-given natural resources.”
To view the Senator’s comments, press play on the player below.
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