Pennsylvania is backing out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, ending a six-year fight over whether the state would ever join. (Inside Climate News)
Lawmakers folded the withdrawal into a must-pass budget bill, a move that avoided a standalone vote and forced members to choose between climate action and keeping state funding flowing.
Climate advocates called it one of the biggest environmental setbacks in recent memory, noting that RGGI could have slashed power-sector emissions more than 80% by 2030 and generated over $100M a year for clean-energy investments.
Supporters of the exit say it protects ratepayers from higher costs and keeps Pennsylvania competitive for data centers and manufacturing.