Final RGGI Regulation Covering Power Plants OK’d By IRRC; House Committee Starts Process To Block Them
On September 1, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission voted 3 to 2 to approve the final Environmental Quality Board regulation to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
The Commission acted after hearing comments on the regulation for over four hours of comments from those supporting and opposing the regulation.
The IRRC approval order was immediately delivered to the Senate and House Environmental Committees for their review.
On September 2, Republicans on the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, voted to approve a concurrent resolution to kill final power plant carbon pollution reduction regulations which now goes to the full House for action.
Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Washington) voted with the Republicans.
The House and Senate now each have 30 calendar days or ten legislative voting days, whichever is longer, to adopt the concurrent resolution and present it to the Governor for his action.
Gov. Wolf would be expected to veto the resolution if it got to his desk. The Senate and House would then have to decide whether to override the veto.
The House comes back into voting session on September 27 when it could consider the concurrent resolution. The Senate comes back into session September 20.
PPA continues to monitor this and other efforts related to greenhouse gas emissions for their impact on member companies.