Virginia Court Says State Must Remain in Cap-and-Trade Program

Virginia’s bid to back out of a regional cap-and-trade program was struck down as unlawful by a state court this week.

The opinion, dated Nov. 18, leaves Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which environmentalists hail as an important way of curbing carbon emissions—especially because the state generates large amounts of energy from natural gas and coal.

RGGI member states set an enforceable cap on the amount of carbon power plants are allowed to emit. Utilities must buy allowances for those emissions, and the revenue goes into each state’s coffers.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had been trying ...