by Gordon Tomb Already struggling to cope with higher energy bills, Pennsylvanians are now experiencing double-digit rate hikes this fall. In September, some suppliers increased electricity prices another 19 percent, citing inflation and energy costs. Pennsylvanians need relief, but Gov. Tom Wolf’s unilateral action will drive energy bills even higher. Worse yet, a new lawsuit highlights how Wolf’s plan—while claiming… Continue Reading
“Do not for one minute allow yourself to be fooled into thinking this money is not coming out of the pockets of Virginia’s citizens or businesses. Do not fall for the ploy Dominion Energy Virginia is attempting by claiming it will charge it off to ‘base rates’. The pea is still under your walnut shell.”… Continue Reading
6.8.2022
Pennsylvania’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Relies on Faulty Data – Why RGGI is a “solution in search of a problem”
The Governor and other officials have relied heavily on the state’s Climate Action Plans and specifically on the 2018 Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan3 in order to support their claims of current and future devastating impacts of continued CO2-driven warming. Assertions in the Climate Action Plan are refuted by the analysis of Gregory Wrightstone, Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition and an expert reviewer for the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 6th Assessment Report (IPCC – AR6).... Continue Reading
By Gordon Tomb – February 17, 2022 Gov. Tom Wolf’s timing for imposing a new energy tax could hardly be worse. Pennsylvania’s economy is trying to recover from the pandemic’s brutal effects. Yet, Wolf’s fixation to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) ignores that the policy will raise families’ energy bills and cripple local… Continue Reading
By Dr. Patrick Michaels – February 8, 2022 GOV. Glenn Youngkin raised quite a kerfuffle when, even before he took office, he said he would extricate Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). It is the right thing to do. While he’s at it, he ought to propose that the Virginia legislature repeal the… Continue Reading
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7.14.2021
Board Approves RGGI Rule, Moving Pa. a Step Closer to Joining Carbon Emissions Program
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On Monday, August 24th, 2020, Dr. Caleb Rossiter, Executive Director of the CO2 Coalition, testified on the drawbacks of implementation and participation of Pennsylvania in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Continue Reading
By Gordon Tomb Pennsylvania voters are increasingly concerned about rising energy costs. According to recent polling, 80 percent of Pennsylvanians say their utility bills have climbed over the past two years, with 34 percent saying their bills jumped “a lot.” Yet, the experience of other states shows Gov. Josh Shapiro’s preferred policies practically guarantee increased electricity… Continue Reading
By Gregory Wrightstone Somebody should tell Gov. Shapiro that his state of Pennsylvania is doing very well environmentally. Overall, the weather has been getting better and agricultural production is up. Nevertheless, he repeatedly attacks the producers and users of energy to address a supposed climate crisis. His administration is trying to keep Pennsylvania trapped in the… Continue Reading
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report examines the actual and projected effects of the climate on the State of Wyoming in response to proposals to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) through the use of “carbon capture” in order to avert purportedly catastrophic atmospheric warming. This research concludes that Wyoming – like the planet – is benefiting… Continue Reading
Image: Snow-Covered Solar Park by Gordon Tomb and David Wojick Having heard witnesses say America’s largest power grid remains unreliable nearly a year after a close call with blackouts last Christmas, Pennsylvania State Sen. Gene Yaw called the testimony “a little scary.” Glen Thomas, a former Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission chairman who consults on grid… Continue Reading
From DV Journal InsideSources’ Daniel Payne: May 22, 2023 As Gov. Josh Shapiro appears ready to push Pennsylvania into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a timely report is demonstrating just how much the state benefits from fossil fuel-related employment—and how much it stands to potentially lose if hardline environmentalist policies come to pass. During his… Continue Reading
by Gordon Tomb The “Bootleggers and Baptists” of Pennsylvania’s energy markets cost consumers and taxpayers billions while undermining the state’s economy and power grid. Bruce Yandle, an economist, coined the unlikely pairing to describe the whys of “protective regulatory cocoons” based on the prohibition of Sunday alcohol sales. The Baptists, write Yandle with coauthor Adam Smith, “enable… Continue Reading
by Gordon Tomb During his campaign, Gov. Josh Shapiro expressed concern over a new carbon tax initiated by his predecessor, Tom Wolf, noting the impact on energy jobs and already soaring energy prices. “I have real concerns about the impact it will have on consumer prices, hurting families at a time when many are struggling… Continue Reading
by Gordon Tomb With Democrat Josh Shapiro as a newly inaugurated governor and a new legislative body, Pennsylvania will either shine as an energy superstar or continue down the dim path of economic decline. The commonwealth is a national leader in energy production despite being stifled by onerous regulations, market-distorting subsidies and an irrational hostility… Continue Reading
10.24.2022
Testimony of CO2 Coalition Executive Director Gregory Wrightstone Before the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee
Testimony of Gregory Wrightstone Executive Director, CO2 Coalition Before the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee October 24, 2022 Fossil Fuels: The Greenest Energy Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I am Gregory Wrightstone, executive director of the CO2 Coalition, based in Arlington, Virginia. I am also a native of Cumberland… Continue Reading
Last year, the CO2 Coalition played a prominent role in providing the scientific basis for opposing the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in the state. In a victory of science over climate alarm, Virginia’s governor yesterday backed out of RGGI. From Just the News‘ Tyler Arnold: “Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration will… Continue Reading
By Gregory Wrightstone & Gordon Tomb – July 22, 2022 As the imposition of a tax on the use of fossil fuels is debated in Pennsylvania and Virginia, along comes an analysis showing the failure of such efforts to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in the name of saving the planet. Under a multi-state compact… Continue Reading
7.13.2022
State judge blocks Wolf’s Administration’s signature play to continue the fight against climate change
“Commonwealth Court Judge Michael Wojcik’s ruling prevents, for now, the state from entering the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The policy was to take effect this month. … The [RGGI] is a confederation of 11 states that have agreed to play by the same marketplace rules to create a cap-and-trade program where energy companies essentially pay… Continue Reading
Gordon Tomb – CO2 Coalition Senior Advisor After a protracted battle with lawmakers, Gov. Tom Wolf’s unilateral push to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) now moves forward. At risk are tens of thousands of jobs, including private union jobs held by people that contributed to his reelection in 2018. It’s a strange reality… Continue Reading
4.5.2022
Pennsylvania Senate Falls Short of Two-Thirds Needed to Kill Greenhouse Gas Initiative
The CO2 Coalition led the fight to kill the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the proposal to kill it was narrowly defeated in the PA Senate yesterday. “The CO2 Coalition, a national nonprofit chaired by Princeton physicist William Happer, has determined that RGGI’s implementation may cost the state’s economy $7.7 billion a year and more than… Continue Reading