Local governments and low-income Virginians are about to start receiving grants for flood resiliency and energy efficiency.
Flood protection barriers and stormwater system upgrades -- those are the kind of projects local governments are about to start financing through grants from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade system Virginia’s previous governor abandoned.
Now Governor Abigail Spanberger is rejoining the multi-state compact that also helps low-income residents fix collapsing roofs and remove mold.
"RGGI helps prevent catastrophic flooding before it happens," says Lee Francis at the League of Conservation Voters. "This isn't a program that's disaster recovery; it's meant to prevent disasters. The type of widespread flooding we saw in Hurricane Helene, the kind of sunny-day flooding that we see in Hampton Roads."
Connor Kish at the Sierra Club says the budget has about half of the grant money it would have had if Glenn Youngkin hadn't spiked the environmental program.
"Virginia's entering on July 1. The calendar year is obviously January through December," Kish notes. "So, we will be receiving half of the revenue that we would otherwise be expecting, and then, you know, once the calendar year turns, we'll be expecting a full year of revenue. But because Virginia was improperly removed from this program, we've not been receiving the benefits of it for the last several years."
Money for the program comes from fossil fuel power plants that will now, once again, be required to pay to offset pollution.
