Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recently failed attempt to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is “reckless,” says Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson.
Wilson, in his December newsletter, said that Youngkin’s efforts are bad for the environment and remove a “vital funding source” for localities in fighting flooding and severe weather.
“This is a vital resource for Alexandria,” Wilson said. “RGGI has been a critical funding source for the City’s flood mitigation work, using a revenue derived from pollution to fund projects addressing the impacts of climate change.”
Last month, Floyd County Circuit Court Judge Randall Lowe ruled that Youngkin’s attempts to remove Virginia from the RGGI were “unlawful and without effect.” Lowe ruled that only the General Assembly can remove the state from the initiative.
RGGI is a multi-state agreement that caps CO2 emissions at power plants and charges them for their extra emissions. The proceeds have so far funded $452 million in flood resiliency efforts throughout the state, including more than $6 million worth of projects in Alexandria, Wilson said.
Alexandria supported the plaintiff, the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, with an amicus brief, Wilson said.
In his order, Youngkin said that utility costs across Virginia have “skyrocketed,” and ordered staff to contact RGGI of his intent, “whether by legislative or regulatory action.”
“Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative risks contributing to the increased cost of electricity for our citizens,” Youngkin said in the order.
According to Wilson:
Alexandria has sought funds in each of the four competitive rounds and we have been awarded funds each time.
- In the first round, the City was awarded $115,200 to support a stormwater capacity project along Commonwealth Avenue and Glebe Road.
- In the second round, the City was awarded $3.2 million for waterfront flood mitigation work and $516,000 for Arlandria flood mitigation projects.
- In the third round, the City was awarded $764,000 to improve the capacity of storm sewer inlets around the City and $1.2 million to replace a metal pipe culvert in Arlandria.
- In the fourth, and most recent round, the City was awarded $525,000 to develop a new flood resiliency plan.
Holding up the program for two years has resulted in a loss of more than $200 million in funding to address climate change and storm resiliency efforts, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) said after the ruling.
