Ten States Move Forward | Green Energy News

July 20, 2003 – Vol.8 No.17

TEN STATES MOVE FORWARD.

Despite inaction on climate change by Washington, governors of nine states in the Northeast U.S., concerned for the effects of climate change on their economies, have formally expressed an interest in tackling the problem by joining the state of New York to create a regional cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

The states having sent letters of interest to Governor Pataki of New York include Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Maryland has taken a perhaps-later response to the regional initiative.

Governor Pataki created the New York Greenhouse Gas Task Force which helped developed the idea of a regional cap-and-trade program. Pataki has also called for a strong Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for the state - 25 percent renewables in 10 years. Renewable energy, in New York and the other states, would benefit from a cap-and-trade system. The N.Y. Task Force is being tracked by the Center for Clean Air Policy at http://www.ccap.org/ (click Programs, Domestic)