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Representative urges RGGI‑funded reimbursements for towns losing tax revenue when power plants close
Summary
Representative Thurber asked the committee to back a bill that would require the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to fund reimbursements to cities and towns that lose significant tax revenue after power‑plant decommissioning, saying current RGGI assistance is short‑term and insufficient.
Representative Thurber told the Joint Committee that towns and cities losing major tax revenue when fossil‑fuel power plants close need longer‑term state support funded through RGGI auction proceeds.
In testimony supporting House 3574, Thurber said communities that hosted large fossil‑fuel generation facilities have faced substantial municipal revenue losses — cited in testimony as roughly $10 million to $13 million per year for some towns — and that short, temporary mitigation from RGGI auctions has not compensated communities for ongoing losses. He said that Brayton Point and Somerset were given limited transitional funds, and that once plants closed they received little or no ongoing revenue assistance.
"This bill will make RGGI fund and pay affected communities, not just during plant closures," Thurber said, arguing expanded RGGI‑funded reimbursements can help towns cover education, public safety, infrastructure, and housing costs while they redevelop sites that may have contamination and permitting delays.
Thurber said roughly 40 or more municipalities could be affected by future closures and highlighted remediation, zoning, and long redevelopment timelines as reasons towns need extended transitional support. He urged the committee to report H3574 favorably so affected communities can plan for revenue shortfalls while seeking new economic activity for former plant sites.
No committee vote was taken during the hearing.
