Op-Ed: Climate Change Regulations in Pennsylvania: No Discernable Benefits

Originally published at Capital Research Center

What happens next in the legal and legislative battles over proposed climate change regulations in Pennsylvania depends in large part on who controls the narrative about carbon dioxide emissions and their impact. Since the scientific and environmental justifications that government figures have used to rationalize restrictions on energy production have been called into question during legislative hearings, opponents have been making the case that the costs of mitigating carbon dioxide emissions far outweigh any theoretical benefits.

Meanwhile, the Power PA Jobs Alliance, a broad coalition of labor and industry leaders, has emerged to highlight the dangers of unconstitutional, unilateral executive actions that could impose carbon taxes that would undermine the economy, eliminate energy-sector jobs, and raise consumer prices. With a potentially decisive vote pending in the state’s General Assembly and a decision pending before an independent regulatory commission this September, it’s not at all certain that Pennsylvania will become part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI, a multistate “cap and trade” agreement that sets limits on CO2 emissions, currently includes 11 states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Read more at Capital Research Center