August 24, 2005

With Northeastern States Close to Agreement on Regional Global Warming Initiative, Environmental Advocates Urge Swifter, More Targeted Action

“New York can cut global warming pollution from power plants swiftly and cost-effectively, bringing cleaner electricity to the state. We need a faster time table and a stronger program structure to better target the electricity sector and protect consumers for this initiative to achieve the goals set by Governor Pataki,” said Christine Vanderlan, global warming program director with Environmental Advocates of New York, commenting on the draft outline for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative that was obtained by the New York Times yesterday, “We applaud New York for being among the first states to address the threat of global warming, and with the talks ongoing, the negotiators have the opportunity to fix the shortcomings in the draft proposal.”

Environmental Advocates and members of the Cap Carbon in New York Campaign Coalition advocate a 25% cut in regional carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 2020, the allocation of emission allowances to consumers (not electricity generators), and a very limited role for emissions projects from non-electricity sources.