The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation recently to repeal the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax enacted through executive order by the Wolf Administration in 2019, according to a news release.

RGGI, a multi-state compact, would increase electricity rates for consumers, cut energy and manufacturing jobs and lead to the closure of Pennsylvania power plants, the news release said.

No new investments in baseload generation have come to Pennsylvania in the five years since the Wolf Administration attempted to enter the state into RGGI.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s entrance into RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the General Assembly, not merely through rulemaking promulgated by Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Quality Board.

This ruling has been appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court by Gov. Josh Shapiro and remains pending.

Govs. Wolf and Shapiro have faced sharp criticism for pushing Pennsylvania to participate in RGGI despite bipartisan objection from the General Assembly.

Senate Bill 1058, introduced by state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, will abrogate the CO2 Budget Trading Program regulation that was promulgated by the state Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Quality Board.

“Leaving our environmental and economic destiny to the whims of RGGI’s New England states is just bad policy for Pennsylvania when our electric power is distributed east and west in the PJM grid,” Yaw said, according to the news release. “It is time to repeal this regulation and focus on putting forth commonsense, environmentally responsible energy policy that recognizes and champions Pennsylvania as an energy producer.”

This legislation comes on the heels of a series of hearings with members of the Ohio General Assembly to discuss PJM and reliability of the mid-Atlantic power grid it manages.

PJM projects that 20% of its existing capacity will retire between now and 2030, leaving them without sufficient power to meet the demands of consumers.

“Pennsylvania’s greatest asset is our ability to produce energy,” state Sen. Kim Ward, R-Greensburg, said, according to the news release. “Gov. Shapiro’s push for a carbon tax has already increased costs for Pennsylvania families who are already grappling with the rising costs of food and gas. RGGI is an unnecessary carbon tax that would increase Pennsylvanians electric bills by 30%, eliminate 22,000 homegrown jobs, and increase the cost of everyday products with no significant environmental benefit. Instead, our focus should be on unleashing our Commonwealth’s energy potential to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy now and for the future.”

Thermal generation retirements, like the recently announced Brandon Shores power plant closure in Maryland, coupled with the threat of RGGI, only further compromise the integrity of the electric grid, according to the news release.

One Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner said the shutdown could cause a “potentially catastrophic” scenario. However, a recent federal commission order shows that concerns about the outlook of the region’s power production are being heard.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.