Sierra Club Applauds Governor Wolf’s Plan to Join Regional Initiative to Cap Carbon Pollution

Harrisburgh, PA -- Today Governor Wolf signed an executive order beginning the process that would add Pennsylvania to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). States participating in RGGI place limits on climate change-causing carbon pollution emissions from power plants, that decline over time.

Currently, the states participating in RGGI include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Virginia and New Jersey are both in the process of joining. Power plants in Pennsylvania emit more carbon dioxide than those in the nine member states combined.

In response, Tom Schuster, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:

“The Sierra Club applauds Gov Wolf’s climate leadership demonstrated by this executive order. Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI has the potential to be the most meaningful step in reducing climate pollution that the Commonwealth has ever taken, and not a moment too soon. Pennsylvanians are demanding decisive action to heed the warnings of scientists and protect our state’s residents from the worst effects of the climate crisis, while at the same time helping to grow our clean energy economy that already employs over 90,000 people. We look forward to working with the administration on the specifics of the program to maximize its impact and ensure that all Pennsylvania communities are protected from power plant pollution.”