Oct 24, 2007 12:26 pm US/Eastern
Acid Rain Tool To Help Combat Global Warming In NY
ALBANY (AP) ―
Gov. Eliot Spitzer on Wednesday said New York's program to cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of a multistate effort will use a cap-and-trade program that has helped reduce acid rain in the Adirondacks and Catskills.
New York is the first state to establish regulations for its power plants as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of 10 northeastern states, Spitzer said. New York has designed a way for companies to trade "credits" necessary to continue polluting, but at lower levels, while providing an incentive to upgrade old plants.
Auto companies, however, have said the limits would require increases in average mile-per-gallon standards that may not be achievable. In September, the National Governors Association said states want to expand state regulation of greenhouse gases in hopes of increasing pressure for federal action on global warming.
Spitzer said that unlike the cap-and-trade program that has combatted acid rain caused by other smokestack emissions, the greenhouse gas initiative won't give away credits to power plants.
New York wants to be the first state to auction all of its pollution credits, which Spitzer said other states are expected to adopt. Maine and Massachusetts also plan to auction off all their credits.
Cap and trade programs allow a company that has reduced its emissions to sell a credit it no longer needs to a company that needs to go over the emissions limit to operate. But overall emissions will still be reduced by the program because of the reduced limits for all carbon releases.
States in the regional plan are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
"By design, this plan creates winners and losers," Spitzer said. "Older, less efficient power plants with higher emission levels will pay more to comply with RGGI than newer, more efficient units ... there will be a new incentive to build clean, efficient or renewable generation."
The payments will fund energy efficiency programs and renewable energy projects, Spitzer said. Power companies will also be able to gain more credit through investment in approved environmental programs such as planting trees. The Spitzer administration said power plants are responsible for 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the state.
Under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative agreement, carbon emissions will be capped at power plants at current, legal levels. But beginning in 2015, the limit will be reduced by 2.5 percent annually for each of three years.
New York's plan is the result of hearings dating to 2003 under former Gov. George Pataki. More hearings on the draft after scheduled and a final 60-day comment period begins Dec. 24 before the draft regulations are set.
In August, six western states -- Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington -- and two Canadian provinces announced its regional goal Wednesday to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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