For Immediate Release:
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020
Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – After years of obstruction at the General Assembly, the legislature has finally voted to officially join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state cap-and-invest program that has been cutting carbon pollution since 2008, returning billions of dollars of environmental, economic, and public health benefits.
Yesterday’s 51-47 vote in the House of Delegates and 22-18 vote in the Senate paves the way for Virginia to begin cutting harmful power plant pollution while returning $100 million of revenue to the Commonwealth, funding that will be divided between efforts to help safeguard frontline communities from dangerous flooding, and energy efficiency programs for low-income Virginians.
In response to today’s vote,Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“For the first time in Virginia’s history, the General Assembly is finally taking the climate crisis seriously. Passage of this legislation is good for clean air, our economy, public health, vulnerable communities, and our future. Joining RGGI is not a silver bullet in this fight – we still expect passage of comprehensive climate legislation in the coming days – but is a solid first step in addressing climate change in a way that will return years of dividends to the Commonwealth.”
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.
###