Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference in Yardley, Pa. Shapiro unveiled a plan to fight climate change on Wednesday, saying he will back legislation to make power plant owners in Pennsylvania pay for their greenhouse gas emissions. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Under Shapiro's plan, Pennsylvania would create its own standalone carbon-pricing program, with most of the money paid by polluting power plants — 70% — going to lower consumer electric bills. No one will pay more for electricity and many will pay less, Shapiro said.
Meanwhile, utilities would be required to buy 50% of their electricity from mostly carbon-free sources by 2035, up from the state's current requirement of 18%. Currently, about 60% of the state's electricity comes from natural gas-fired power plants.
For the time being, a state court has blocked former Gov. Tom Wolf’s regulation that authorizes Pennsylvania to join the multistate Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which imposes a price and declining cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
As a candidate for governor, Shapiro had distanced himself from Wolf's plan and questioned whether it satisfied criticism that it would hurt the state’s energy industry, drive up electric prices and do little to curtail greenhouse gases.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pa-gov-shapiro-proposes-plan-make-power-plants-pay-greenhouse-gases