This petition was submitted via email to Karen G. Sabasteanski on Aug. 30, 2023. It is also linked here: https://valcv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8-30-23_RGGI_petition.pdf

Virginians Oppose Governor Youngkin’s Attacks on Climate Action

We, the 335 Virginians undersigned, join with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters to strongly oppose the Youngkin Administration's ongoing attempts to take Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Evidence of the climate crisis is all around us - smoke in the air, flooding in our streets, and erratic and increasingly dangerous weather patterns. We need to be doing everything we can to address this threat, but you are actively working to take us in the opposite direction with your ongoing efforts to take Virginia out of a highly successful program that's cutting power plant pollution while returning steady, dedicated funding to our state to combat flooding and lower energy costs. 

RGGI is protecting our health. Cleaner air means better health outcomes for Virginians, and in its first few years RGGI has already significantly cut harmful power plant pollution. We must continue to lower harmful emissions and switch to cleaner energy sources to secure a sustainable future. 

RGGI is bringing resources to Virginia. RGGI has also brought $657 million to our state in just a couple short years - funding that localities depend on to keep their communities safe from flooding, and that's going to help low-income households lower their energy bills. And as we lessen our dependence on fossil fuel generation and transition to clean energy, we will also significantly lower Virginians' energy costs, which have skyrocketed because of the unpredictable price of volatile fossil fuels.

RGGI is the law of the Commonwealth. This regulatory repeal is unlawful. Virginia's General Assembly voted to join this program by statute in 2020, and no Governor has the power to single handedly override Virginia Code or brush aside laws they don't agree with. That simply isn't how democracy works. 

For these reasons, we oppose this repeal effort and condemn your ongoing attempts to take resources away from the communities that need them while walking back our climate commitments.