Bill Text: DE SB288 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft

Delaware Senate Bill 288 (Prior Session Legislation)

Draft

Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 7 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-06-22 - Assigned to Energy & Transit Committee in Senate [SB288 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2015-SB288-Draft.html

SPONSOR:	Sen. Hocker & Sen. Lavelle & Rep. Smyk
	Sens. Lawson, Reps. Dukes, Briggs King, Kenton, Gray, D. Short, Wilson

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 288

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 7 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend §6047, Title 7 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows and by redesignating accordingly:

§6047 Federal preemption.

Should a national cap and trade program such as the Clean Power Plan (CPP) essentially equivalent to the requirements of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) be promulgated by the federal government, Delaware shall ~~may~~ transition into the federal program and suspend or amend its regulations accordingly, provided that any unspent funds remaining with the Sustainable Energy Utility or Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control following cessation or suspension of the RGGI program shall be used in accordance with their initial purpose. Delaware's current review and potential amendments to the RGGI Program in association with the RGGI 2016 Program Review ~~program~~ shall ~~not be abandoned~~ be suspended until the national program is fully implemented and Delaware's regulations are amended to transition to the national program.

SYNOPSIS

Delaware's carbon dioxide reduction goals have been met, several years' worth of average expenditures from the last three years sits in reserve accounts, and the rising costs of emission permits from continued participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is limiting electric generation in the state adding cost with no real environmental benefit.A unilateral tax on carbon dioxide emissions no longer makes sense.Therefore, Delaware's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will be suspended until a national tax system is adopted.

AUTHOR: Senator Hocker