House Energy committee hears RGGI briefing as allowance prices and auction revenue climb

Representative Kathleen James convened the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 31 for a briefing on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the regional CO2 cap-and-invest program that auctions emissions allowances and returns proceeds to participating states.

The presentation, led by James Zartek of Vermont’s Climate Action Office with staff support from the Public Service Department and the Public Utility Commission, outlined RGGI’s purpose, scale and recent trends. "It's a very good deal for Vermont," Zartek said, noting that while the 2024 regional cap allows roughly 84,000,000 tons of CO2, Vermont’s total emissions across all sectors are just over 7,000,000 metric tons. He summarized that RGGI creates allowances that states auction and can reinvest; Vermont has historically directed those proceeds mainly to weatherization and thermal-efficiency programs.

The committee heard detailed state figures and compliance costs for Vermont’s covered power plants.…