Canceling regulations to enter Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is now under consideration in Commonwealth budget negotiations.
Participation in RGGI is the most important thing Pennsylvania can do right now to combat climate change.
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania House Democratic leaders should refuse to support any legislation which cancels Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI.
Climate change is the most serious long-term threat to this planet. 2024 was the warmest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Hurricane Melissa’s devastation of Jamaica is the most recent example of how climate change can exacerbate storm damage.
Pennsylvania is the fourth-largest carbon dioxide emitting U.S. state and about 30% of Pennsylvania’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from its electric power sector -- mainly coal and gas-fired power plants.
RGGI is a 10-state cap-and-trade program designed to reduce greenhouse emissions from the electric power sector. RGGI was established in 2009 and currently there are 10 participating Mid-Atlantic and New England states.
RGGI is described as a cap-and-trade program because a “cap” is put on a state’s overall power sector carbon dioxide emissions. This cap shrinks over time allowing less and less emissions.
Electric power producers must purchase carbon emission allowances at RGGI’s quarterly auctions or elsewhere. These allowances can be freely “traded” on the open market.
Participating states invest the proceeds from these auctions in energy efficiency and clean energy.
RGGI has worked well. According to RGGI Inc-- “Since RGGI’s inception, CO2 emissions from covered power plants in the region have declined 46% and RGGI allowance auctions have yielded more than $9 billion to power investment in the clean energy future of the participating states.”
In 2020, then Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order to develop regulations to place Pennsylvania in RGGI.
Wolf used regulatory process because of the political impossibility of doing so legislatively. Almost all Pennsylvania Republican legislators oppose RGGI.
Pennsylvania’s RGGI regulations were finalized in 2022. These regulations were challenged in court by Republican legislative leaders along with business and labor groups on the basis that the regulations imposed a tax not authorized by the Pa. Legislature.
The Pa Supreme court is expected to rule on this case soon.
Senate Republicans are now demanding a repeal of the RGGI regulations as a condition for agreeing to a budget (now about four months late).
House Democrats are seriously considering this demand- partly due to Governor Shapiro's lack support for RGGI.
Since announcing his run for Governor, Shapiro has never publicly endorsed Pennsylvania’s entry into RGGI.
Last session Governor Shapiro unveiled his Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act legislation (PACER) (House Bill 2275) This legislation would have created sort of a Pennsylvania- only version of RGGI.
The bill went nowhere.
PACER has been introduced again this term. (House Bill 503/ Senate bill 503).
The legislation has zero chance of passage in the Senate.
The bottom line is that given the solid Republican control Senate and the tenuous Democratic control of the House, RGGI regulations are the only chance Pennsylvania has to meaningfully address climate change at this time.
House Democratic leaders and the Governor-- if they are serious about addressing climate change---must reject Republican demands to cancel RGGI regulations.
Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) is Majority Chairman of the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee. He can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.
Fossil Fuel Power Plants Power Wave Of PA Data Center Proposals:
--- DEP Sets Sept. 17 Public Meeting/Hearing On Air Quality Permit For The Proposed 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant At The Homer City A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County [PaEN]
-- Environmental Groups, Citizens Request DEP To Hold Public Hearing On The First Title V Air Quality Permit For Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant In Westmoreland County [PaEN}
-- DEP Invites Comments On First Title V Air Quality Permit For the Calpine Mid-Merit II 1,449 MW Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In York County; To Supply Power To Data Center Project [PaEN]
-- DEP Schedules Dec. 17 Hearing On A Revised Title V Air Quality Permit For The 400 MW Portland Power, LLC Power Plant In Northampton County; To Attract Data Center Project [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Dec. 17 Hearing On An Air Quality Permit For The PEI Power LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Lackawanna County [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold Nov. 14 Hearing On Renewal Of An Air Quality Permit For The Coal, Natural Gas-Fired Brunner Island Power Plant In York County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 77 Emergency Power Generators At The Amazon Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County [PaEN]
-- Amazon Data Services, Inc. - 204 Aboveground Storage Tanks [1,306,647 Gallons]: DEP issued permits for these aboveground tanks serving the A.I. data center emergency generators at a project located in Salem Twp., Luzerne County.
-- DEP Accepting Comments On The Renewal Of An Air Quality Permit For The Wolf Run Energy, LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Bradford County [PaEN]
-- DEP: Comments Now Being Accepted For An Air Quality Permit For The Hunterstown Power, LLC Peaking Electric Generation Facility In Adams County [PaEN]
-- Hummingbird Data Center Project, 1,400 acres in Greene County, new 918 MW Gas Power Plant
-- TECfusions 1,395 acres data center project in Westmoreland County, new 3 GigaWatt Gas Power Plant.
-- Fort Cherry Development District data center in Washington County, new 1 GigaWatt Gas Power Plant.
-- Capital Power announced $3 billion over 10 years to upgrade and expand a gas facility in Shamokin Dam, PA. Read more here.
-- Frontier Group announced plans to invest $3.2 billion to transform the former Bruce Mansfield coal power plant into a natural gas power station in Shippingport, PA. Read more here..
-- Vistra Corp bought two PA gas power plants with 1.4 GigaWatt capacity to help power data centers. Read more here.
-- NRG bought five PA gas power plants with 2.4 Gigawatt capacity to help power data centers. Read more here.
-- Bitfarms Ltd buying Stronghold Digital Mining and Scrubgrass and Panther Creek coal waste power plants to help power data centers. Read more here.
Resource Links - A.I. Data Centers:
-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part I: PA Utility Law Project - Utility Terminations Up 30% Already; Prioritize Existing Loads; Centers Need To Help Pay For Utility Assistance [PaEN]
-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part II: PA Consumer Advocate - PUC Should Set Conditions For Centers To Be Served By The Grid; Set Power Curtailment Priorities [PaEN]
-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part III: PJM Market Monitor - Data Centers Have Cost Existing Ratepayers $16.6 Billion Already; Centers Should Bring Their Own Power Generation To Prevent More Large Price Spikes [PaEN]
-- PJM Electric Auction Impacts: 1 In 5 PA Households Report Problems Now Paying Energy Bills; Electric Utility Shutoffs Up 38.1% So Far This Year [PaEN]
-- PJM Electricity Auction: PJM Lost 2.8 Gigawatts Of Power Due To Reduced Reliability Rating Of Natural Gas Power Plants; Could Gain 12.2 Gigawatts By Increasing Reliability From Less Than 75% Now To An Achievable 90% [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Nov. 12 Joint Meeting Of DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board To Hear EJ Concerns With A.I. Data Centers, Update On DEP’s EJ Initiatives, Cumulative Impacts Of Facilities [PaEN]
-- PJM Winter Power Outlook: Adequate Power Supplies Available To Serve Growing Demand Under Expected Conditions; 1 GigaWatt Of Mostly Solar Power Capacity Added Since Last Winter [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: Don’t Trade Away Pennsylvania's Climate Regulations As Part Of State Budget Deal [Fossil Fuel Power Plants Power Wave Of Data Center Proposals] - By Rep. Greg Vitali, Majority Chair, House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee [PaEN]
-- Moms Clean Air Force PA Urge Gov. Shapiro To Protect The RGGI Program Regulating Carbon Pollution From Power Plants To Cut Climate Pollution [PaEN]
-- PEC Podcast: Advanced Electric Transmission Technology - More Capacity, More Power Out Of Our Existing Grid At A Fraction Of The Cost [PaEN]
-- Water At Risk: A.I. Data Centers Bait And Switch? - By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association, Monroe County [PaEN]
-- PUC: Utilities Will Not Terminate LIHEAP-Eligible Heating Customers During Federal Shutdown; Customers Need To Call Utilities Now To Stay Connected This Winter [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Spotlight PA: Millions At Risk Of Power Shut Off Because Of Federal LIHEAP Funding Delays During Federal Shutdown [PA Included]
-- TribLive: Surge In A.I. Data Centers Sparks Concern Over Water Demands
-- Wall Street Journal: What Happened When Small-Town America Became A.I. Data Center, USA [PDF of Article]
[Posted: November 5, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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