On February 5, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on House Bill 2025 (Struzzi-R-Indiana) which would take away the authority of DEP to adopt any program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The legislation, and a companion bill in the Senate-- Senate Bill 950 (Pittman-R-Indiana), would prohibit DEP from adopting any program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions unless specifically authorized by the General Assembly.
The agenda includes 11 witnesses who have testified in other House and Senate hearings pointing out only the disadvantages of joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and similar programs--
-- David T. Stevenson, Caesar Rodney Institute
-- Sean Lane, Chief Power, LLC
-- Vince Brisini, Olympus Power, LLC
-- Paul Cameron, lnternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 459
-- Shawn Steffee, Boilermakers Local 154
-- Donald Arena, South Central PA Building Trades Council
-- Carl Marrara, PA Manufacturers' Association
-- Kevin Sunday, PA Chamber of Business & lndustry
-- Rod Williamson, lndustrial Energy Consumers of Pennsylvania
-- Rebecca Oyler, National Federation of lndependent Business
-- Rachel Gleason, PA Coal Alliance
The Committee has held other information meetings and hearings on the climate change issue including in March where climate skeptics debunked the myths surrounding climate change, another featuring DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell in September, and a hearing in October pitting climate skeptics and deniers against most of the scientific community..
On January 16, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), Majority Chair, House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, sent a letter to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Executive Committee saying Pennsylvania has a “rogue Governor” who lacks the authority to make Pennsylvania part of the RGGI initiative without legislative approval. Click Here for more.
Background
The operative language in House Bill 2025 reads-- “Prohibition.— Except for a measure that is required by Federal law, the department may not adopt a measure or take any other action that is designed to abate, control or limit carbon dioxide emissions, including an action to join or participate in a State or regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, including the RGGI, nor may the department establish a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, unless the General Assembly specifically authorizes such a measure or action by statute that is enacted on or after the effective date of this section.”
The legislation was introduced in response to an executive order Gov. Wolf signed in October directing DEP to join the interstate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative through a regulation adopted by the Environmental Quality Board.
RGGI is a market-based cap-and-invest by northeast states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Republican legislators believe putting a price on carbon through these programs will have a significant, detrimental impact on the state’s economy and on the coal industry. Click Here for more.
On January 31, DEP announced it would be unveiling regulations establishing a RGGI-compatible program to establish the cap-and-invest program on February 13 at a meeting of DEP’s Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee. Click Here for more.
The language would also preclude another Gov. Wolf climate initiative-- his announced intention to be part of developing the Northeast Regional Transportation and Climate Initiative that would establish a regional cap-and-trade greenhouse gas reduction program covering vehicle fuels. Click Here for more.
The Senate Transportation and Environmental Committee held a joint hearing January 29 on the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Click Here for more.
The House Environmental Committee hearing will be held in Room 205 in the Ryan Office Building starting at 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch the hearing live online.
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.
To learn more about Pennsylvania’s climate-related initiatives, visit DEP’s Climate Change webpage.
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[Posted: February 1, 2020] PA Environment Digest
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