Republicans in Harrisburg think Pennsylvanians are gullible.
Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana, offered an amendment last month to his own bill, House Bill 637, that cynically tries to put window dressing on it to attract more votes.
The amended HB 637 has been renamed the “Energy Sustainability and Investment Act.” It would still block RGGI, while at the same time authorizing a one-time expenditure of $250 million using federal COVID-19 relief funds on items including R&D for carbon capture and hydrogen projects, plugging orphan gas wells, improving sewer and stormwater infrastructure, and assisting workers and communities affected by coal plant closures.
Instead of a one-time raid of COVID relief funds, RGGI would create ongoing investment opportunities for Pennsylvania far in excess of $250 million every single year.
Second, other priorities in the amended HB 637 are already receiving significantly greater dollar amounts from federal legislation like the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law .
Any such existing measure or action would be “abrogated,” meaning this bill doesn’t just strip DEP of its ability to do anything to address the devastating impacts of climate change going forward, it nullifies all actions DEP currently has in place.
Despite what fossil fuel apologists and Republican lawmakers would have you believe, here are the facts: RGGI participation will create jobs in Pennsylvania, cut dangerous pollution from power plants, and invest in energy efficiency that can reduce consumers’ energy bills.
With the eyes of the world watching the horrifying and indefensible invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it is clearer than ever that clean energy is our best response to free the energy market from the brutal aggression of Putin and other petro-dictators.