NORFOLK, Va. - — The fight over Virginia's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative continues with a lawsuit challenging the Youngkin administration's authority on removing the Commonwealth from the program.
The program, known as RGGI, requires power plants to buy credits to emit carbon into the atmosphere in an attempt to address pollution.
Money from the credits is then given to the states, who can use the money to address flooding and sea level rise.
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"The track record shows that it is actually effective, so why on God's green planet would we be putting out the notion of trying to dismantle it?" Charles Brown from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network said this week.
Upon taking office, Gov. Youngkin signed an executive order directing his administration to examine how Virginia could be removed from the program.
Earlier this summer, Travis Voyles, the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, argued in front of the State Pollution Control Board that Virginia should leave the program.
"The way RGGI has been implemented in Virginia does not work as an effective means for greenhouse gas reductions," Voyles said.
Voyles argued Virginia can leave the program by adopting a regulation, which the Board agreed to in June.
Virginia could now be out of the program at the end of the year.
Voyles has argued the costs of being in the program have been passed on to electricity customers in their power bills.
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"The fact that RGGI operates as a direct regressive tax on consumers is reason enough to have doubts about Virginia's future participation in RGGI," Voyles said.
Virginia joined RGGI due to a law passed by the General Assembly in 2020, so the Southern Environmental Law Center is now suing on behalf of several groups, arguing Virginia's participation in RGGI is up to state lawmakers.
Other advocates agreed.
"Virginia's participation in RGGI was mandated through legislation, not regulation. Therefore, only the legislature has the authority to remove Virginia from RGGI," said Mary-Carson Stiff from Wetlands Watch.
In a statement in response to the lawsuit, Voyles said the Attorney General has confirmed the State Air Pollution Control Board has the authority to remove Virginia from RGGI.
Others, including Norfolk City Council member, Andria McClellan are hoping Virginia will stay in it.
"RGGI is literally a drop in the bucket, so if we can't save this how the hell are we going to fund everything else we need to do?" McClellan said. "This is a huge, huge issue."
