Global Courant 2023-05-25 16:40:53
Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices indicated Wednesday that they likely have split opinions on whether a governor has the right to force power plant owners to pay for their planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, or whether he first needs approval from a legislature that refuses to to go along with the plan.
At stake is Pennsylvania’s bid to become the first major fossil fuel-producing state to introduce carbon pricing.
On Wednesday, the state’s highest court heard arguments over whether a lower court was right last summer to stop Pennsylvania’s participation in a multistate consortium that places a price and falling cap on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
There’s a huge amount at stake: Pennsylvania would have raised more than $1 billion if it had started participating in 2022, when, according to calculations by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Wolf sought to create a non-profit environmental advocacy group.
Participation in the consortium became the central pillar in Wolf’s plan to combat global warming. It’s also a political minefield for Governor Josh Shapiro, Wolf’s successor and a fellow Democrat who was supported by unions who fought against the plan.
The Conemaugh Generation Station emits steam in New Florence, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 6, 2007. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court indicated on May 24, 2023 that justices’ opinions on forcing power plant owners to pay for their emissions are likely to be divided . (Todd Berkey/The Tribune-Democrat via AP)