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A Pittsburgh legislator is introducing legislation to turn into law Gov. Josh Shapiro’s plan to pull Pennsylvania out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and create a commonwealth-only cap-and-trade program to control industrial emissions.
State Rep. Aerion Abney, D-Pittsburgh, and state Sen. Carolyn Comitta, D-Chester County, announced they were introducing a bill that would create the Pennsylvania Climate Emission Reduction Program (PACER). PACER would put a price on carbon emissions from fossil-fuel power plants and require larger emitters to pay for pollution. The proceeds would go toward lowering Pennsylvania residents’ electrical bills and also put money toward clean-energy and pollution reduction programs.
“PACER is a bold vision that allows Pennsylvania to reimagine a climate future that benefits all residents and protects our environment,” Abney said in a statement. “This legislation would provide a much-needed bridge to a more renewable future, foster economic growth, and move us closer to toward environmental justice.”
Shapiro on March 13 unveiled PACER as a key part of his energy policy, which would replace RGGI, which then-Gov. Tom Wolf brought Pennsylvania into despite concerns by the General Assembly and industry that said it wasn’t fair to bring Pennsylvania into a cap-and-trade program that would involve 11 states in the Northeast and Midatlantic that aren’t as heavily into electricity production as Pennsylvania.
Shapiro’s vision needs to be enacted by the General Assembly. It would include a leadership role by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, which would set a specific level of carbon emissions and oversee the auction.
“We must act now to reduce our carbon emissions for this generation and the next one,” Comitta said. “And with PACER, we can do it while supporting job growth, transitioning to clean energy, and saving consumers money on their electricity bills.”
The Shapiro administration has appealed a Commonwealth Court decision against Pennsylvania joining RGGI but also said he would pull Pennsylvania out of it if PACER was enacted into law.