Clean Air Council Applauds Release of Draft Final-Form RGGI Rule

Harrisburg, PA (May 4, 2021) This afternoon, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published the draft final-form regulatory text for a program that will cut climate-disrupting carbon pollution from power plants and link Pennsylvania to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) starting next year.  The final-form rule incorporates recommendations submitted during the 69-day public comment period that closed several months ago.  Pennsylvania continues to rank second in the country in fracked gas production, third in coal production, and has the nation’s fifth-dirtiest electric power sector.  This updated regulation will now advance through the final stages of the rulemaking process and establish Pennsylvania as a participating state in RGGI.

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement:

“We are very encouraged to see the RGGI rulemaking process continue moving forward.  Without question, this program represents a major milestone in Pennsylvania’s efforts to combat climate change. The changes reflected in the final-form rule are a reminder that people submitted tens of thousands of comments during the 69-day comment period last year, demonstrating strong public support for cutting carbon pollution, creating jobs, and reinvesting hundreds of millions of dollars in Pennsylvania businesses and communities. The comment period also featured ten virtual public hearings, which allowed nearly 450 speakers from across Pennsylvania to deliver over 30 hours of testimony, with more than 95% of those testifying in support of the proposal. Pennsylvania participation in RGGI will yield significant benefits across the board, and we look forward to seeing this rule take effect in January 2022.”