Webinar: Pa.’s Plans to Join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Pennsylvania’s move to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will be explored during the Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management’s latest webinar on April 14.

“What Is RGGI and Why Should Pa. Participate?” will be held at 11 a.m. as part of the center’s Energy Lecture Series and feature Allen Landis, the executive director of the PA Energy Development Authority at the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Climate change is becoming a bigger concern around the world, and power generation is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would take immediate steps to reduce emissions by creating a cap-and-trade program for the electricity generation sector. Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order in 2019 that directed DEP to begin a rulemaking process that will allow Pennsylvania to participate in the RGGI, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions from the electricity sector.

RGGI is an initiative of 11 New England and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector while generating economic growth. Together Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia cap and reduce their power sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This is achieved by setting a regional cap or limit CO2 emissions from electric power plants in the participating states. The proposal has been met with concerns from some business and energy groups.

Landis primarily leads efforts in clean energy financing at DEP and assists with development of Pennsylvania's regulation to participate in RGGI. Past work at the Department includes policy & program initiatives related to energy, air quality, and climate such as the Transportation Climate Initiative, the Finding Pennsylvania Solar Future Project, the 2018 Climate Action Plan, and PA’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap. Allen has a master’s degree in Sustainable Engineering from Villanova University, and is pursuing his MBA at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Melon University.

Continuing Legal Education credit for Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio will be offered at a fee for attorneys. Contact the Washington County Bar Association at 724-225-6710 or wcba@washcobar.org.

To register for this free webinar, please click here!.