Sponsors
The bill preserves lower near-term electricity charges and state budgeting flexibility by preventing a dedicated RGGI fee, but at the cost of potential cuts to energy-efficiency programs that would disproportionately hurt low-income households, slow emissions reductions, and create state budget trade-offs.
Electricity ratepayers (broadly) avoid a new or higher state-imposed fee that would have funded RGGI-related energy-efficiency programs, keeping their near-term utility charges lower.
State governments retain flexibility to allocate existing funds rather than creating a dedicated new fee for RGGI program funding, preserving state budgeting discretion.
Low-income residents and other participants could lose access to RGGI-funded energy-efficiency programs, reducing opportunities to lower their energy bills and worsening energy affordability.
Reduced funding for energy-efficiency projects may slow reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and raise long-term energy costs for communities, undermining climate and public-health goals.
States may need to divert general funds or cut other programs to preserve energy-efficiency efforts, creating budget pressure that could reduce public services or shift costs elsewhere.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits states from imposing any charge or fee to fund the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Energy Efficiency Program.
Introduced March 18, 2026 by Jefferson Van Drew · Last progress March 18, 2026
Prohibits states from imposing any charge, fee, or other assessment to fund the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Energy Efficiency Program. The measure removes a state-level funding mechanism for that specific energy-efficiency program and does not provide alternative federal funding or implementation details.