Gov. Wolf Plans to Have Pennsylvania Join a Regional Effort to Cut Carbon Emissions

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday plans to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate effort to cut carbon emissions from power plants.

Pennsylvania is the fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter in the country. It’s also a large producer of coal and natural gas, and a net exporter of electricity. The state’s participation would expand RGGI at a time when the Trump administration has reversed actions to curb emissions, reports StateImpact Pennsylvania.

“This is a game changer, for a top energy producer like Pennsylvania to take this big step toward a cleaner future,” said Kate Konschnik, director of the Climate and Energy Program at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. “Governor Wolf is securing the Commonwealth’s position as an energy leader in a carbon-constrained world.”