Environmental groups sue to keep Virginia in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in Virginia to try to keep the state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the long-promised lawsuit in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Monday. The initiative is an effort by mid-Atlantic and Northeast states to reduce power plants’ carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system. The lawsuit argues that Virginia’s State Air Pollution Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality lacked the authority to withdraw. The administration of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin disagrees. Youngkin has made leaving the compact a priority, citing its impact on the cost of electricity.