Today, as part of his budget priorities, Gov. Younkin proposed diverting $102 million from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) into a Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Helene. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene and we understand the necessity of this support. However, removing funds earmarked to support underserved Virginia families is not the right solution, especially with a $2.2 billion budget surplus. 

The Housing Innovations in Energy Efficiency (HIEE) funds administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development are instrumental in providing healthy, safe, and energy-efficient homes. Furthermore, these homes are more resilient to hurricanes and other natural disasters. HIEE supports affordable housing built to Zero Energy Ready standards, as well as provides repairs to homes that would otherwise be deferred from the federal Weatherization Assistance Program. These measures reduce moisture and protect from high winds, making them safer for the most vulnerable of our communities. 

By pulling funds away from HIEE, the Governor is trading one disaster for another. We encourage the administration to use the budget surplus  – not RGGI – to support Virginians dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC) applauds the Circuit Court ruling in favor of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP), stating that the Governor’s regulatory action to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)  was unlawful. In 2020, Virginia became the first southern state to join RGGI and was the only RGGI state that dedicated fifty percent of its proceeds from those auctions towards making low-income, affordable housing more energy-efficient. These programs have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Virginia, enabling weatherization providers and affordable housing developers to provide safe, affordable, and energy-efficient homes to low-income families like never before. Moreover, RGGI funds cannot be replaced or matched – the 2020-2022 auction proceeds exceeded every other source of energy efficiency funding in Virginia combined. As participation in RGGI was codified by the General Assembly, this ruling validates that only the legislature can withdraw the Commonwealth. The VAEEC looks forward to having these critical funds return to help serve Virginians across the state.