FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2021

On Thursday, Sept. 24, Gov. Wolf vetoed House Bill 2025. In response, leadership from the Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania coalition released the following statement:

As leaders with the Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania coalition, we thank Gov. Tom Wolf for rejecting efforts that would prevent Pennsylvania’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Our members stand for the creation and preservation of clean energy jobs in the Commonwealth – and RGGI is critical in achieving those goals. Pennsylvania is at a crossroads. As a national leader in the energy sector, thousands of jobs rely on electricity generation. But some of those forms of electricity generation lead to dirty air and health consequences. Pennsylvania is behind the curve in addressing air pollution. It’s time for us to support our skilled workforce and advance it into clean electricity production. The benefits are clear: clean air; improved public health; high-paying jobs; and affordable electricity prices.

With RGGI, polluting fossil fuel plants pay for the social and health costs of carbon emissions they release into the air. Pennsylvania, and other RGGI states, using the money from emitters, can choose to invest in energy efficiency and clean job creation programs.

Pennsylvania has already begun creating renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which is an important step in the right direction. However, Pennsylvania’s current policies still favor dirty electricity sources over clean ones like wind, solar and nuclear power. This unfair advantage stifles new, clean energy projects and threatens to prematurely shut down emissions-free nuclear power plants.

We can’t let that happen, and we urge lawmakers to abandon efforts to continue blocking RGGI so that we can move Pennsylvania forward on this critical issue.

Mayor Mark Barbee
Bridgeport Borough

Joel Hicks
Councilman, Carlisle Borough Council

Whitney Hoffman
Vice-Chair, Kennett Township

William Jenaway
Chair
Board of Supervisors, Upper Merion Township

Christopher Manero
Chair
Township Council, Plymouth Township