Failing to receive a response to a February letter, Senator Joe Pittman again called on the Governor called on the Governor to visit the area and meet with the people of Armstrong and Indiana counties who would be impacted by his proposed carbon tax.
The Governor announced last October his intention to have Pennsylvania join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Pennsylvania would be the only major energy producing state in the compact and the resulting carbon tax on employers engaged in electric generation would devastate that industry and cost thousands of jobs.
“While your Administration claims to be concerned about ‘affected communities,’ which will be adversely impacted by your efforts to impose a carbon tax on energy producers, I am unaware of any engagement that has occurred with Armstrong and Indiana counties on what will be done to replace the jobs lost, rehabilitate the sites of shuttered power plants, and replace the lost revenue to local governments – especially school districts,” Senator Pittman wrote in a July 14 letter to the Governor.
In his February 14 letter, Senator Pittman urged the Governor to secure funding from the $64 million federal Carbon Capture Technology (CCT) initiative to promote the development of innovative cleaner coal technologies in Pennsylvania.
“Our Commonwealth remains a rich source of coal resources and coal-fired electric generation. The continued, responsible use of this God-given natural resource remains extremely critical to providing family sustaining jobs to the constituents I represent,” Senator Pittman wrote. “Our Commonwealth should explore all avenues relating to CCT so we can use our resources efficiently while evolving into new technologies that limit carbon emissions when possible.”
Contact: Carlton Logue clogue@pasen.gov