HARRISBURG – Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) issued the following statement regarding the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s review of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) electricity tax which was enacted through executive order by the Wolf Administration in 2019. In 2023, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s entrance into RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the General Assembly, not merely through rulemaking promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Quality Board (EQB). Governor Shapiro made the decision to appeal the Commonwealth Court ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
“The illegal attempt to put Pennsylvania into RGGI – started by the Wolf Administration and continued by the Shapiro Administration – has been a complete disaster. We’ve lost jobs, we’ve lost energy production, and the cost of electricity is going up.
“Today’s argument in front of the Supreme Court made it clear the Commonwealth Court was right when it said RGGI is unconstitutional. Once the Supreme Court rules on this issue, we will then be able to have serious discussions on the future of energy advancement in our Commonwealth. I look forward to the Supreme Court’s swift decision so we can quit wasting time on unnecessary lawsuits and focus on implementing strong energy policies to benefit Pennsylvania families and businesses.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Kate Flessner kflessner@pasen.gov