Providence, Rhode Island — Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is calling for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funds to be returned directly to ratepayers rather than funneled into the program after Gov. Dan McKee announced $28 million in RGGI funds would be used to offset a proposed winter rate hike.
AFP Northeast Region Director Ross Connolly said:
“RGGI acts as a hidden tax on ratepayers and makes Rhode Island less competitive while driving up energy prices. If RGGI weren’t adding to the cost of power to begin with, Rhode Islanders wouldn’t be facing increased rates, and the state wouldn’t need to declare an emergency to hand ratepayers their money back. The fact that the state has to declare an emergency and redirect these funds just to lower costs is an admission that the money was misallocated from the start. While this is a step in the right direction by Governor McKee, AFP calls on lawmakers to make this permanent to provide lasting relief for the Ocean State.”