Virginia Governor Orders Cap-And-Trade Regulation for Power Plants

Virginia's governor issued an order on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a cap-and-trade system to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to "fill the void" left by the Trump administration, which has been rolling back federal climate rules.

Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe signed Executive Directive 11, an order instructing Virginia's environmental regulators to craft rules targeting power sector carbon emissions by Dec. 31.

McAuliffe specifically asked regulators to propose a rule for the state air pollution control board that would enable the state to participate in a multi-state carbon permit trading program such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for northeastern states.

"As the federal government abdicates its role on this important issue, it is critical for states to fill the void. Beginning today, Virginia will lead the way to cut carbon...,” McAuliffe said in a statement.

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