Environment DEC
From the June 2003 issue
Governor Pataki Calls for Joint Approach to Fight Climate Change
Governor George E. Pataki has asked the governors of ten nearby states to join a regional initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
The initiative would involve developing a regional market-based emissions trading system that requires power generators in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland to reduce emissions. Carbon dioxide is a "greenhouse gas" which is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Market-Based Strategy
The new carbon dioxide reduction initiative would build on the successful national cap and trade program for nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions. The ten states included in the plan, along with New York, constitute the three major electricity systems (Independent System Operators) in the northeast and their cooperation would facilitate the free flow of electricity within interstate markets.
Governor Pataki sent letters to the governors encouraging their participation. The letter states that DEC Commissioner Erin M. Crotty and Public Service Commission Chairman William M. Flynn will be contacting their counterparts to gauge their respective state's level of interest. The two agency leaders will report back to Governor Pataki to provide an assessment of progress.
