Virginia needs to stay the course and remain in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Pulling us from the program would necessitate finding other ways to reduce our carbon emissions that could be less effective. Virginia is blessed with fantastic resources and wonderful climate. It will be a travesty is the Commonwealth does not do every bit that it can to protect those resources and especially to protect the humans who need clean air and water.

The proceeds VA receives from RGGI auctions fund critical nature-based resilience projectsfrom living shorelines to expanding wetlands. These projects slow erosion and reduce the flow of sediment and nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay. The proceeds also reduce energy usage and utility bills for renters with lower incomes as well as homeowners, further reducing carbon emissions.

Collectively, we can slow the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. I urge you to keep Virginia in this program.