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.