{"id":2087751,"date":"2023-11-02T09:50:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T13:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-court-rules-cap-and-trade-energy-program-rggi-unconstitutional\/"},"modified":"2023-11-02T09:55:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T13:55:49","slug":"pennsylvania-court-rules-cap-and-trade-energy-program-rggi-unconstitutional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-court-rules-cap-and-trade-energy-program-rggi-unconstitutional\/","title":{"rendered":"PA Court: Cap-and-Trade Energy Program RGGI Deemed Unconstitutional"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpennsylvania-court-rules-cap-and-trade-energy-program-rggi-unconstitutional%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2087751&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>PA Court Rules Against Governor&#8217;s Decision to Join \u200bGreenhouse Gas Initiative<\/h2>\n<p>In a groundbreaking decision, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has declared that former Gov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s unilateral decision to join the Regional \u2063Greenhouse Gas \u2062Initiative (RGGI) \u200cwithout involving the Legislature violated the state&#8217;s constitution. This ruling effectively prevents Pennsylvania from\u2064 becoming a \u2062member of\u2064 the cap-and-trade program aimed\u2064 at\u2062 reducing carbon emissions.<\/p>\n<p>However, the fight is not over yet. There are\u2063 whispers \u200bin the Capitol that an appeal may be pursued, keeping the possibility \u200cof joining RGGI alive.<\/p>\n<p>RGGI, a\u2062 program between\u2064 member states, seeks \u200cto cut CO2 \u200demissions from the power sector by 30% by \u200c2030. Power companies are given emission caps\u200c and must either purchase CO2 permits or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/right-leaning-private-american-graphic-novel-gets-canceled-by-kickstarter-daily-kos\/\" title=\"Right-Leaning \u201cPrivate American\u201d Graphic Novel Gets Canceled by Kickstarter, Daily Kos\">find innovative ways<\/a> to \u200breduce their\u200d emissions. This will\u2063 undoubtedly increase the cost of energy production.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-great-green-energy-transition-that-wasnt-5520272?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">The \u2062Great \u200c\u2018Green Energy\u200c Transition\u2019 That\u2064 Wasn\u2019t<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/31\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-great-green-energy-transition-that-wasnt-5520272?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/us-energy-more-focused-on-what-is-a-pipe-dream-sen-barrasso-grills-energy-official-on-bidens-offshore-drilling-policies-5518416?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">US Energy \u2018More Focused \u200don What \u200dIs a Pipe Dream\u2019: Sen. Barrasso Grills Energy Official on\u200d Biden\u2019s Offshore Drilling \u2064Policies<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/us-energy-more-focused-on-what-is-a-pipe-dream-sen-barrasso-grills-energy-official-on-bidens-offshore-drilling-policies-5518416?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Power generators that produce less than the cap can \u2062sell \u200dtheir excess CO2 permits to \u200cthose exceeding the limit. The \u200bnumber of permits allocated will gradually decrease, reducing overall emissions.<\/p>\n<p>RGGI, a nonprofit organization, oversees the \u200dauction of permits\u200c among partner states. Currently, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia \u2062are members. If\u200d Pennsylvania were \u200cto join, it would\u2064 be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-court-rules-cap-and-trade-energy-program-rggi-unconstitutional\/\" title=\"PA Court: Cap-and-Trade Energy Program RGGI Deemed Unconstitutional\">largest energy-producing state involved<\/a>. Concerns have been raised that RGGI could\u200b lead to job losses, bankrupt power companies, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-to-propose-massive-new-legislative-package-cost-to-be-borne-by-taxpayers\/\" title=\"Biden to propose massive new legislative package, cost to be borne by taxpayers\">higher energy costs<\/a>\u200c for Pennsylvanians.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>State \u200bSenate Republicans\u2063 argued that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) imposed\u200c an unconstitutional tax on energy companies by entering RGGI.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The crux of the argument revolves around whether RGGI is considered a tax. \u200dWhile the DEP and EQB claim it is\u2064 not, the Senate and now the Commonwealth Court view it as such. Judge Ellen Ceisler dissented.<\/p>\n<h2>Moving Money<\/h2>\n<p>Both the DEP and EQB stand \u200cto gain a significant windfall from RGGI. According to court documents, the \u200dauction \u2063proceeds would be deposited\u200c into Pennsylvania&#8217;s Clean Air Fund, which aims\u2064 to reduce\u2064 air pollution.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>From 2016 to 2021, the Pennsylvania Clean Air Fund maintained a yearly balance of\u2064 $20 million \u200bto $25 million, occasionally spending slightly more than it received. However, with the introduction of RGGI auction proceeds, court\u200b papers \u2062estimate that the \u200d2022\u20132023 budget year could see receipts exceeding $443 million.<\/p>\n<p>The court decision states, &#8220;There is no cited authority under which DEP and EQB may obtain or retain the\u200b auction \u200dproceeds for \u2063Pennsylvania allowances that are purchased by \u2062non-Pennsylvania covered sources, which are not subject to DEP\u2019s and EQB\u2019s regulatory \u2064authority, and which\u2064 are not tethered to\u2063 CO2 emissions in Pennsylvania.&#8221; The ruling declares \u200bthe rulemaking invalid and prohibits the\u200c enforcement of its\u200c provisions.<\/p>\n<p>State Republicans have expressed \u200btheir satisfaction \u2062with the court&#8217;s decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Commonwealth Court\u200c decision confirms what we have known for some time\u2014which is the tax known\u2064 as RGGI is unconstitutional,&#8221; said\u200d Senate President Pro Tempore\u200b Kim Ward. &#8220;One of Pennsylvania\u2019s\u200d greatest assets \u2062is \u2063our \u2063ability to produce energy, which is being held hostage \u2064by\u2063 flawed public policy resulting in\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-approves-california-plan-to-force-electric-vehicles-on-truckers\/\" title=\"Biden Administration Approves California Plan to Force Electric Vehicles on Truckers\">higher electricity rates<\/a> \u2063for our \u200ccitizens. Gov. \u2064Shapiro should drop the RGGI lawsuit and work with \u200cus to unleash Pennsylvania\u2019s energy potential\u200d by working together to develop a responsible energy \u200cpolicy for the\u200c people \u2063we \u200drepresent.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans, including Pennsylvania House\u200d Republican Leader Bryan Cutler\u2062 and \u200bState Rep. Martin Causer, have also praised the court&#8217;s ruling, emphasizing the potential negative impact RGGI \u200bcould have on the state&#8217;s energy industry and consumers.<\/p>\n<p>The Pennsylvania \u2063Chamber of Business\u2062 and Industry, along with several other \u2064organizations, filed an amicus brief opposing RGGI.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How would the funds generated through\u2064 the PAA\u2064 program be \u200ballocated towards\u2062 environmental \u2062initiatives in Pennsylvania?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200c Official estimates, \u2062the program could generate\u200b over $300 million\u2064 in \u200bannual revenue \u2062for the state. This money would be used to \u200cfund a variety of \u200benvironmental initiatives, including clean energy projects and\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/environmental-groups-sue-virginia-governor-over-regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative\/\" title=\"Environmental groups sue Virginia governor over RGGI.\">energy efficiency programs<\/a>. However,\u2063 opponents argue that these funds are effectively a \u2063tax on \u2062energy\u2062 companies, as they\u200c are required to purchase permits in order to continue operating within the state.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u2064critics argue that\u200c RGGI will have negative \u2062effects on Pennsylvania&#8217;s economy. \u200bThe state is a major producer of coal, and the coal industry has already been struggling in recent\u2063 years. The implementation of RGGI could exacerbate this decline, leading to job losses and \u2063economic hardship for\u200c communities that \u2062rely on coal mining.<\/p>\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1524728632481-7198e0b018f2?ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that former Gov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s decision to include Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) without legislative involvement violated the state&#8217;s constitution. This decision currently prevents the state from joining the initiative, but the potential for Pennsylvania to join RGGI remains uncertain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":2087752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2087751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2087751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2087751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2087752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2087751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2087751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2087751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}