Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order on October 3 instructing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a nine-state program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.
“Climate change is the most critical environmental threat confronting the world, and power generation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions,” said Governor Wolf. “Given the urgency of the climate crisis facing Pennsylvania and the entire planet, the commonwealth must continue to take concrete, economically sound and immediate steps to reduce emissions. Joining RGGI will give us that opportunity to better protect the health and safety of our citizens.”
The executive order launches a process in which PADEP will conduct outreach and draft a proposed regulation for entering RGGI, which must then be approved by the state’s Environmental Quality Board. The October 3 announcement builds on earlier efforts by the Wolf administration to set statewide climate goals, which aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025 and by 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
