Letter to the editor: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative provides hope

As a solar supporter concerned about coal-dependent communities, the prospect of Pennsylvania joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) fills me with hope. RGGI will cut carbon pollution from power plants in the state by 25% while raising hundreds of millions of dollars each year to invest in clean energy, cutting household energy bills and helping coal-dependent communities transition to a new economic future.

But some legislators in Harrisburg are doing their best to oppose RGGI, despite the fact that over 70% of Pennsylvanians support its caps on power plant pollution. Last month, they introduced House Bill 637, which would stop RGGI from going into effect. Now, an amendment gives the bill a misleading new name — the “Energy Sustainability and Investment Act” — and redirects $250 million of federal covid funds toward methane reduction, flood mitigation and assistance for energy workers. While these are worthy causes, it is a small, one-time payoff compared to the many millions more we would invest under RGGI.

RGGI, by contrast, would invest $410 million in the first year alone and hundreds of millions more annually for similar purposes, providing the resources we deserve to build a better energy future for Pennsylvania.

Bill Spohn

Indiana Townshp