Pennsylvania Governor Proposes Regional Climate Pact Alternative

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) proposed a statewide cap-and-invest plan on Wednesday that, if approved by the state legislature, would take the state out of a climate pact with 11 Northeastern states that’s currently tied up in court.

The plan, known as the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Act (PACER), would let the state set its own cap on carbon and direct 70% of the proceeds into rebates for consumers’ energy bills.

The plan would take Pennsylvania out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which Shapiro’s predecessor, Gov. Tom Wolf (D), wanted to join. Shapiro has expressed uncertainty about whether ...