From PennFuture (http://www.pennfuture.org):
When Pennsylvania participates in its first emissions-allowance auction this fall as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), millions of dollars of funding will be made available for clean energy and clean air projects.
The RGGI Investments Act (SB15/HB1565) proposes to spend those proceeds on programs that would support workers and communities affected by the clean energy transition, investing specifically in frontline and environmental justice communities.
Without this legislation, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is limited by law in how it can spend auction proceeds. That leaves the door open for the General Assembly to siphon or to otherwise divert proceeds to causes or programs that would not benefit frontline workers, communities, or our shared environment.
Under the RGGI Investments Act, the DEP would implement the RGGI program in the same way, but investments of net proceeds would be guided by an energy transition plan. A quarter of the proceeds would still go to the Clean Air Fund. The remainder would go into a newly created Energy Transition Fund and used for certain types of projects in key categories:
- 37.5% – Programs to support workers and communities
- 25% – Solar generation, energy efficiency, and energy demand reduction
- 20% – Commercial and industrial energy efficiency
- 12.5% – Weatherization assistance programs and bill assistance for low-income customers
Tell Your Legislators to Support the RGGI Investments Act at https://pennfuture.salsalabs.org/support_rggi_investment_act_sb15/index.html.
The RGGI Investments Act would help guide the Commonwealth through the coming energy transition and would support our workers and communities as we cut carbon emissions and other harmful pollution.
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