ROANOKE, Va. – Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin wants the Commonwealth to withdraw from a partnership aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
He says it’s a burden to businesses and ratepayers and will use executive power to do so.
More than a year ago, Virginia became the first southern state to enter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and now they may exit.
Terry McGuire with Sustainable Roanoke calls it disappointing.
“We are really disappointed and troubled by Glenn Youngkin’s announcement,” he said.
On Wednesday, Youngkin announced he wants to exit from the initiative that was designed to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
Carbon is a greenhouse gas that when released into the air, scientists say contributes to climate change.
The initiative requires power plants to purchase an allowance to emit a certain amount of carbon.
But Tim Cywinski with the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter said if the Commonwealth is out, then more damage may go unnoticed.
“If we don’t have that, how are we supposed to know if the facilities that have to pay for RGGI are impacting people’s health in certain areas of Virginia,” he said.
In the first year, the program brought in $228 million to help flood protection and low-income communities.
But Jacob Fish with Americans for Prosperity said they endorsed Youngkin to get away from carbon taxes and eliminate top-down programs.
“These type of top-down policies that increase the cost of all energy consumption at a time when families are already reeling from the pandemic and having to deal with inflation making the cost of everyday goods and services more expensive is the worst time to implement these type of changes,” he said.
“I guess the question is whose side is Glenn Youngkin going to be on,” McGuire said. “Is he going to take action and lead on an issue that threatens our economies and our way of life and presents a national security or is he going to coddle up to those companies who have for decades have been responsible for polluting our air and water.”