A state court has agreed to temporarily freeze its ruling from last year determining that Virginia environmental regulators illegally withdrew from a regional carbon-trading program.
On Thursday, a judge of the Circuit Court of Floyd County ruled from the bench that he would suspend his decision on the commonwealth’s membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — or RGGI — while Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) pursues an appeal of the court’s order.
“We’re disappointed to find ourselves at this point despite the November ruling,” said Chase Counts, executive director of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, which had sued after the state’s air pollution control board voted to leave RGGI.
“We, and a great number of other Virginians, see the benefits of being part of RGGI and want to be back in the program,” he said.
