Environmentalists are hailing Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s win in Tuesday’s gubernatorial race in Virginia, anticipating the state’s quick re-entry into a cap-and-trade agreement between 11 northeastern states.
That move would likely translate into meaningful carbon reductions, since Virginia is already among the 15 highest-emitting states. More than half of Virginia’s net electricity generation came from natural gas in 2023, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
A return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would mark a sharp turn from the leadership of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who has tried to pull the state out of the compact, and something ...