HARRISBURG, PA (October 31, 2025) — As closed-door talks continue in the Governor’s Office, reports from the Capitol indicate that Senate Republicans continue to demand that Governor Josh Shapiro drop the RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) court case and repeal the Commonwealth’s ability to join the program in exchange for a final budget deal.
The following is reaction from Robert Routh, an advisor to the NRDC Action Fund in Pennsylvania:
“The constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s RGGI program is pending before the state Supreme Court. That legal process is nearing its conclusion and needs to play out given the important legal precedent in play. In a moment when there is so much justified concern over energy costs, Governor Shapiro and House leadership need to reject these demands to roll over and kill RGGI, which presents historic investment opportunities for Pennsylvania to lower utility bills, grow jobs, and advance clean, reliable energy. The governor and House leadership have stood as a critical firewall to protect Pennsylvanians from Republican attacks for many years – now is not the time to fold. Inaction is not an option.”
Background: Since its 2009 launch, RGGI has saved consumers hundreds of millions of dollars on energy, with billions more in savings to come; created thousands of new jobs; and improved public health while helping to cut carbon pollution from the region’s power plants in half. RGGI’s well-documented success shows how flexible, market-based approaches to cutting power plant pollution can benefit everyone.
