Massachusetts Limits Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants
The commonwealth joins eight other states in restricting carbon dioxide emissions.
Massachusetts has signed an agreement with eight other states to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 90 million tons over the next six years. As part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)—the nation’s first mandatory “cap-and-trade” program for carbon dioxide emissions—Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont are lowering the current cap on power plant emissions from the 165 to 91 million tons per year, starting in 2014. After 2020, the cap will continue to lower by 2.5 percent per year. “This is one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction measures that we have seen,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan said. The RGGI Board of Directors estimates …
