RGGI Hurt Pennsylvanians. Shapiro’s Lightning Plan Will Be Worse.

Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania.

Pennsylvania spent six years watching energy investment flee the state—all because of the mere possibility of a carbon tax scheme. Now, Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to try something even more destructive, promising it’ll be different this time. However, Pennsylvanians struggling to afford their electricity bills should be skeptical.

It all began with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Back in October 2019, then-Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order to force Pennsylvania into RGGI, the multistate compact that imposes a carbon tax on all its members.

For six years, the state was stuck in limbo while the issue played out in court. In 2023, the Commonwealth Court ruled that Wolf’s order unconstitutional, invalidating Pennsylvania’s RGGI membership. But Shapiro appealed that decision, prolonging the unnecessary litigation. Then, during budget negotiations in November 2025, state lawmakers finally agreed to permanently exit RGGI. In the end, Pennsylvania taxpayers paid more than $4 million in legal fees to litigate this whole mess.

Read more at RealClearPennsylvania.