{"id":276379,"date":"2023-08-30T16:43:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T14:43:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=276379"},"modified":"2023-08-30T16:43:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T14:43:55","slug":"greens-sue-to-keep-virginia-in-rggi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=276379","title":{"rendered":"Greens sue to keep Virginia in RGGI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From \u00a0CFACT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a move that came as no surprise to anyone who has followed the knock-down, drag-out fight over Virginia\u2019s participation in a controversial multistate carbon credit-trading scheme, environmental groups are suing to block the Old Dominion\u2019s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 21, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), on behalf of several Virginia green groups, filed suit in Fairfax County Circuit Court to prevent Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) from having the state part company with RGGI. RIGGI is an 11-state compact of northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to cap and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants. Its current members are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virginia joined RGGI in 2021 after Democrats, who controlled the General Assembly and the governor\u2019s mansion at the time, passed a sweeping energy\/climate measure that called for the state to phase out carbon-based fuels. Youngkin, who was elected governor later that year, came into office vowing to take Virginia out of RGGI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That has been easier said than done, in large part because Democrats remain in control of the state Senate, where they have killed Republican-backed legislation to exit the compact. Unable to do the deed legislatively or through an executive order, Youngkin pursued his goal through regulatory means. In June, the State Air Pollution Control Board \u2013 with a majority of member appointed by Youngkin \u2013 voted to begin the process of exiting RGGI. After a 30-day review period, the governor officially filed a notice of withdrawal at the end of July, with an effective date of Dec. 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA Regressive Tax\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRGGI remains a regressive tax that does not do anything to incentivize the reduction of emissions in Virginia,\u201d Travis Voyles, state secretary of natural and historic resources, said in an Aug. 21 statement. He noted that the board \u201cbelieves that Virginia is not required to be in RGGI\u201d and that state Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R) has issued an opinion that the board has the authority to act, The\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0(Aug. 23) reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The forthcoming legal battle will focus on what the Democrat-passed 2021 energy law said about Virginia joining RGGI. Environmental groups \u2013 as well as Democratic lawmakers \u2013 contend that the Youngkin administration exceeded its authority in overriding an act passed by the Assembly. But the Youngkin administration argues that the 2021 energy law \u201cauthorizes\u201d Virginia to join RGGI, but does not compel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youngkin\u2019s claim that RGGI is a regressive tax was confirmed by Dominion Energy, the states largest utility, which said it added about $2.39 to the average customer\u2019s monthly utility bill to cover the cost of complying with RGGI. \u201cThe State Corporation Commission suspended that surcharge last year in anticipation of Virginia withdrawing from RGGI and at Dominion\u2019s request during a time when rising fuel charges were increasing customer costs,\u201d the\u00a0Post\u00a0<\/em>reported. \u201cBut Dominion succeeded in getting a slightly higher surcharge returned this summer, arguing that it has continued to accrue costs from RGGI even as fuel costs have come down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawsuit spearheaded by SELC was filed against the State Air Pollution Control Board, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the department\u2019s director, Michael Rolband. It argues they lack authority to Remove Virginia from RGGI. A court ruling in the case is not expected for several months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Bonner Cohen, Ph. D.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonner R. Cohen, Ph. D., is a senior policy analyst with CFACT, where he focuses on natural resources, energy, property rights, and geopolitical developments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Articles by Dr. Cohen have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor\u2019s Busines Daily, The New York Post, The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times, The Hill, The Epoch Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Miami Herald, and dozens of other newspapers around the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has been interviewed on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN, NBC News, NPR, BBC, BBC Worldwide Television, N24 (German-language news network), and scores of radio stations in the U.S. and Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has testified before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Dr. Cohen has addressed conferences in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Bangladesh. He has a B.A. from the University of Georgia and a Ph. D. \u2013 summa cum laude \u2013 from the University of Munich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a move that came as no surprise to anyone who has followed the knock-down, drag-out fight over Virginia\u2019s participation in a controversial multistate carbon credit-trading scheme, environmental groups are suing to block the Old Dominion\u2019s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":276386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818076,691818218,691818154,691821324,691822192,691818417],"class_list":{"0":"post-276379","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-co2","9":"tag-greens","10":"tag-net-zero","11":"tag-regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-rggi","12":"tag-regressive-tax","13":"tag-virginia","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00lUWAbc.jpg?fit=2560%2C1600&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-19TJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":423896,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=423896","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":0},"title":"Virginians can expect to see electricity costs skyrocket by $1,100 per household","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"30\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Virginia residents have voted in favor of politicians who back policies that will raise their electricity costs by more than $500 million per year, according to an\u00a0analysis\u00a0of the carbon tax plan that elected officials are in the process of reinstating.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQORBFcW-Ae7jieIEhYST3P8UYMxqmLe4KUjrWznaxtFfhUkHshLHFdXuNErGvFVZ4eujRC_rZ31x6PIEyRRuzeUpea_ZrPW8JbD_u070KXbemRFthagsJqOgKn6RIWM-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C590&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQORBFcW-Ae7jieIEhYST3P8UYMxqmLe4KUjrWznaxtFfhUkHshLHFdXuNErGvFVZ4eujRC_rZ31x6PIEyRRuzeUpea_ZrPW8JbD_u070KXbemRFthagsJqOgKn6RIWM-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C590&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQORBFcW-Ae7jieIEhYST3P8UYMxqmLe4KUjrWznaxtFfhUkHshLHFdXuNErGvFVZ4eujRC_rZ31x6PIEyRRuzeUpea_ZrPW8JbD_u070KXbemRFthagsJqOgKn6RIWM-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C590&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQORBFcW-Ae7jieIEhYST3P8UYMxqmLe4KUjrWznaxtFfhUkHshLHFdXuNErGvFVZ4eujRC_rZ31x6PIEyRRuzeUpea_ZrPW8JbD_u070KXbemRFthagsJqOgKn6RIWM-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C590&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0AQORBFcW-Ae7jieIEhYST3P8UYMxqmLe4KUjrWznaxtFfhUkHshLHFdXuNErGvFVZ4eujRC_rZ31x6PIEyRRuzeUpea_ZrPW8JbD_u070KXbemRFthagsJqOgKn6RIWM-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C590&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424923,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=424923","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":1},"title":"Virginia Has No Reason to Rejoin RGGI","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"In announcing plans to have Virginia reinstitute a carbon tax, Virginia Governor\u00a0Abigail Spanberger\u00a0makes no mention of global warming \u2013 the bogeyman usually called upon by supporters of such levies. That may be because the apocalyptic narrative that industrial emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) threaten to overheat the planet has become\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQMSC3bZplY11tAmcrZEDtO0NKwOt3QlJnh7OxqzCM1s_ySFIxtWnsJFNMbp7XvWMTt1ljVpV3iQPQ4dTmCV80GYEZdupYA7fWTk7NlkVIHnFOmFWoI0exRMFPF_v9k-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C599&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQMSC3bZplY11tAmcrZEDtO0NKwOt3QlJnh7OxqzCM1s_ySFIxtWnsJFNMbp7XvWMTt1ljVpV3iQPQ4dTmCV80GYEZdupYA7fWTk7NlkVIHnFOmFWoI0exRMFPF_v9k-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C599&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQMSC3bZplY11tAmcrZEDtO0NKwOt3QlJnh7OxqzCM1s_ySFIxtWnsJFNMbp7XvWMTt1ljVpV3iQPQ4dTmCV80GYEZdupYA7fWTk7NlkVIHnFOmFWoI0exRMFPF_v9k-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C599&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQMSC3bZplY11tAmcrZEDtO0NKwOt3QlJnh7OxqzCM1s_ySFIxtWnsJFNMbp7XvWMTt1ljVpV3iQPQ4dTmCV80GYEZdupYA7fWTk7NlkVIHnFOmFWoI0exRMFPF_v9k-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C599&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0AQMSC3bZplY11tAmcrZEDtO0NKwOt3QlJnh7OxqzCM1s_ySFIxtWnsJFNMbp7XvWMTt1ljVpV3iQPQ4dTmCV80GYEZdupYA7fWTk7NlkVIHnFOmFWoI0exRMFPF_v9k-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C599&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":262214,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=262214","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":2},"title":"Virginia one step closer to withdrawing from RGGI","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Governor Glenn Youngkin\u2019s pledge to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was approved on June 7 by the state\u2019s Air Pollution Control Board, raising the prospects that Virginia\u2019s ratepayers may soon be rid of an onerous RGGI-related carbon tax.","rel":"","context":"In \"Carbon Tax\"","block_context":{"text":"Carbon Tax","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-tax"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative-RGGI-Virginia.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative-RGGI-Virginia.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative-RGGI-Virginia.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative-RGGI-Virginia.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0-Regional-Greenhouse-Gas-Initiative-RGGI-Virginia.jpeg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":287100,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=287100","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":3},"title":"Court derails Keystone State\u2019s membership in RGGI","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cRGGI, like all so-called green initiatives, is based on the false premise that emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities are overheating the planet,\u201d Wrightstone explained. \u201cCO2 is in fact an essential plant food, and modern increases in atmospheric levels of the gas have contributed to record crop harvests and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Carbon Tax\"","block_context":{"text":"Carbon Tax","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-tax"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0fromshutterstock1280x640.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0fromshutterstock1280x640.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0fromshutterstock1280x640.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0fromshutterstock1280x640.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0fromshutterstock1280x640.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":209822,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=209822","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":4},"title":"Judge throws monkey wrench into Gov. Wolf\u2019s rush into RGGI","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"23\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf\u2019s (D) ploy to circumvent the Legislature and force the Keystone State to become a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) suffered a setback July 8, when a judge issued a temporary injunction against the move. In two cases brought against the Wolf administration, Judge\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0virginias-clean-economy-act-will-have-dirty-results.jpg?fit=858%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0virginias-clean-economy-act-will-have-dirty-results.jpg?fit=858%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0virginias-clean-economy-act-will-have-dirty-results.jpg?fit=858%2C558&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0virginias-clean-economy-act-will-have-dirty-results.jpg?fit=858%2C558&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422923,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422923","url_meta":{"origin":276379,"position":5},"title":"Virginia Rejoins the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Virginia\u2019s new governor, Abigail Spanberger, announced that Virginia will rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), falsely claiming that the state\u2019s withdrawal from the program increased costs. She said that rejoining RGGI is aimed at lowering monthly utility bills and restoring investments that support energy efficiency and flood mitigation across\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Artificial Intelligence (AI)\"","block_context":{"text":"Artificial Intelligence (AI)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=artificial-intelligence-ai"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Screenshot-2026-01-24-170851.png?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Screenshot-2026-01-24-170851.png?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Screenshot-2026-01-24-170851.png?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Screenshot-2026-01-24-170851.png?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Screenshot-2026-01-24-170851.png?fit=1200%2C671&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=276379"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276387,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276379\/revisions\/276387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/276386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=276379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=276379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=276379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}