A state House committee is advancing a measure to stop Pennsylvania entering a regional cap-and-trade program without approval from the General Assembly

HARRISBURG, Pa. - StateImpact Pennsylvania’s Rachel McDevitt reports it’s the first legislative action specifically targeting the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  

Democratic Governor Tom Wolf is trying to join the program known as RGGI through executive order.  

RGGI requires power plants to pay for each ton of carbon they emit. Lawmakers who oppose joining the agreement say that amounts to a carbon tax and the governor doesn’t have that authority.  

They also say it will harm the state’s economy.

Democrat Pam Snyder joined all the Environmental Resources and Energy committee’s Republicans in support of the bill. She represents the southwestern corner of the state, where coal mines and power plants employ thousands.   

 “No one has reached out to me and told me, ‘we’re going to bring a huge manufacturing plant to the 50^th District, Pam. So, when we close all the coal mines your people have somewhere to work.’”

Opponents of the bill said the governor does have the right to join RGGI under the constitution and the Clean Air Act.  

And they say, joining would be the biggest action the state has taken yet to address climate change.  

Governor Wolf says he’ll veto the bill if it reaches him.