CAAV and our partners are working to support a City of Harrisonburg council resolution in favor of Virginia joining the states north of us in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This places a value on clean power and efficiency. Charlottesville’s city council just passed a resolution–we’d love to see Harrisonburg do the same!
We encourage you to reach out to your council members in favor of RGGI to speed up action on the resolution and help us make a difference in Virginia’s energy policy!
Council members contact information for residents of Harrisonburg and a sample email message for them is below:
• Mayor Chris Jones: christopher.jones[at]harrisonburgva.gov
• Vice Mayor Baugh: richard.baugh[at]harrisonburgva.gov
• Council Member Degner: kai.degner[at]harrisonburgva.gov
• Council Member Shearer: abe.shearer[at]harrisonburgva.gov
• Council Member Byrd: ted.byrd[at]harrisonburgva.gov
A sample email could look something like this:
“Dear [Councilmember],
I am a resident of Harrisonburg, Va. I’m contacting you because the Harrisonburg City Council has the opportunity to join other cities in taking the lead on climate policy in an easy and meaningful way that builds on energy efforts in our city. I am writing in favor of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—a collaborative effort among nine states designed to reduce carbon pollution in the most cost-effective manner.
Since the program was formed in 2008, RGGI states from Maine to Maryland reduced their carbon footprint 2.5 times faster than non-RGGI states. Electricity prices in RGGI states have dropped on average by 8% while prices throughout the rest of the nation increased 6% during the same time period. In experience, the RGGI program has proven to be effective.
Locally, a growing group of residential, commercial and university solar and wind power installations are generating electricity with renewable power in the city. Virginia’s joining RGGI would benefit Harrisonburg and bring further value to our city efforts while reducing our climate impacts.
Furthermore, RGGI would generate approximately $200 million per year through an energy market to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency projects statewide, including projects in Harrisonburg, while providing adaptation measures for climate-change-related flooding, and economic development.
I’m urging you to support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as it is introduced on the local and state level as part of our state’s climate action plan. Harrisonburg can take this important step to help lead the way toward a clean energy future.
Thank you,
[your name]
[your address]
Thank you for engaging with this issue and playing an important role in the groundwork of this initiative. Please contact kendallk@chesapeakeclimate.org with any questions!
More about RGGI, the Virginia Coastal Protection Act and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s Safe Coast Virginia campaign here.
Climate Action Alliance of the Valley 