Decision
Creates A New England Wide Program to Cap and
Reduce Global Warming Pollution From Power Plants
In a move celebrated by environmental
groups, Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri used part of his State of the State
address to announce that Rhode
Island will join a regional program to reduce global
warming pollution from power plants.
”This is a huge victory for
Rhode Island’s
environment,” said Matt Auten, Advocate for Environment Rhode Island. This
announcement has national and international significance in the battle against
global warming, but Rhode Islanders don’t need to look any further than our own
coastline and the waters of Narragansett Bay to
understand the importance of this
decision.”
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will use a
market-based "cap-and-trade" system to cap emissions levels in 2009 and require
a ten percent reduction by 2020.
The RGGI pact reduces global warming pollution by
requiring power plants across the region to gradually reduce the pollution they
emit. For each ton of carbon dioxide emitted, power plants must buy a pollution
“allowance.” Over time, the total number of allowances will be reduced across
the region, resulting in less carbon going into the air.
The task of creating a framework to implement RGGI in
Rhode Island
now falls to the Rhode Island General Assembly, which has repeatedly shown
strong leadership on the issue by passing numerous resolutions respectfully
requesting the Gov. Carcieri to sign the
pact.
Other states already signed onto the pact include
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont. In addition, Maryland has passed
legislation requiring the state to join RGGI by June 30, 2007.
Rhode
Island had been the only
New England state that had not joined the regional pact after Massachusetts Gov.
Deval Patrick announced Massachusetts would participate last
week.
