People and businesses in states that participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) would be most directly affected. These include states like Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. They might see a change on their utility bills if a specific charge for energy efficiency programs is removed.

Energy efficiency program administrators and environmental organizations in these states would also be affected, as their funding structure or ability to operate these programs as currently designed would change. States would need to either find alternative funding for energy efficiency initiatives or scale back such efforts.