Legislation that would have required Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), an interstate carbon dioxide emissions cap-and-trade program, has died in the Virginia General Assembly. The bill (H.B. 2205, S.B. 1428) aimed to compel the governor to join the program, which includes Maryland and several North-eastern states. Additionally, the bill proposed the establishment of a revolving loan fund to finance investments in adapting to sea-level rise in the Hampton Roads region.
Hampton Roads, home to the Navy’s Sixth Fleet, the state’s only deepwater port, and a population of 2.5 million, is particularly vulnerable to land subsidence, sea-level rise, and increased flooding. However, in the Republican-dominated House, a subcommittee tabled H.B. 2205 on February 3, effectively ending the bill’s progress. The bill was sponsored by Del. Ronald A. Villanueva (R), who represents a portion of Hampton Roads. In the Republican Senate, the Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee took similar action in January.
The failure of the legislation highlights the divide in the General Assembly over joining the carbon emissions trading program and allocating resources to address the impacts of climate change. As a result, Virginia will not be joining RGGI at this time, and the establishment of the revolving loan fund for sea-level rise adaptation investments in Hampton Roads will not proceed.
