Learn about the Governor's consensus plan. The Power Plant Global Warming Bill: An Exceptional Opportunity for Maine
Coastal flooding from sea-level rise, a faltering winter recreation economy, and more asthma and Lyme disease are some of the warning signs that Maine is already experiencing as a result of global warming. The power plant global warming bill introduced this session, known as RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative), will help to reduce global warming pollution while improving our economy and health and saving Mainers money on energy.
Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection has identified RGGI as the most important next step for Maine to cut global warming pollution. Eight northeast states are working toward this bi-partisan, regional approach to reducing global warming pollution from power plants. Together these states add up to the seventh largest source of global warming pollution in the world.
More than 30 percent of this pollution comes from dirty power plants. The bill would reduce global warming pollution from power plants by nearly 20 percent by the year 2019. It also would create incentives for energy efficiency and clean, renewable power–good for our health and a necessary step to achieve our energy independence.
RGGI can save electricity customers 5 to 15 percent on electric bills, help protect against rate increases, generate an “energy fund” worth up to $30 million to help Mainers save money and invest in energy efficiency, and provide energy-saving opportunities for everyone from dairy farmers to high-tech companies.
Updates on RGGI
(6/18/07) Governor Baldacci signed the RGGI bill today at the Maine State House!
(6/12/07) Maine has just moved one step closer to becoming part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). LD 1851 just had its final enactment in the Senate this morning after enactment in the House last night! Now that the bill has passed through the Legislature, it goes to Governor Baldacci’s desk for signing within the next 10 days.
(6/5/07) RGGI bill passes Senate unanimously! Today, the Maine Senate voted 35-0 for final passage of “An Act To Authorize the State's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative” (LD 1851, known as RGGI). Today’s vote makes Maine the third northeast state to pass a law that requires power plants to reduce their emissions of global warming pollutants as part of a region-wide “cap-and-trade” system. Vermont and Connecticutt have already passed RGGI legislation -- altogether ten northeast states are in the process of adopting similar policies, and five western states are not far behind. Read more.
(5/31/07) RGGI bill passes House. The Maine House just passed the RGGI bill (LD 1851) by a vote of 130-7. The bill will go to the Senate the next legislative day, which could be tomorrow (or Monday).
(4/11/07) Governor Baldacci held a press conference to announce LD 1851, “An Act to Establish the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act of 2007.” Under the direction of Governor Baldacci and legislative leaders, top industrial business representatives and Maine’s foremost environmental groups have agreed to a consensus plan for Maine’s participation in RGGI. The collaboration heralds unprecedented cooperation in the effort to reduce global warming pollution in the most economically sensible way. The consensus plan addresses the needs of Maine’s mills and also accelerates investment in high-efficiency programs to lower consumer energy bills. The plan will be presented to the Maine Legislature this session as the Governor’s RGGI bill, sponsored by Representative Koffman (Bar Harbor). This bill replaces RGGI bill LD 1090. A public hearing will be held in front of the Utilities & Energy and Natural Resources Committees on Tuesday, April 24th in Augusta. (Please let us know if you would like to attend – contact: saraL@nrcm.org or 622-3101 x205)
(3/8/07) Legislators introduce LD 1090. Today a bipartisan group of legislators have taken an unprecedented step toward controlling global warming pollution in Maine. LD 1090, “An Act To Authorize the State's Participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” would establish mandatory limits on global warming pollution from Maine electric generators, and would enable Maine businesses to participate in a regional marketplace for emission reductions. NRCM, the Conservation Law Foundation, Environment Maine, Environment Northeast, Environmental Defense, and the Nature Conservancy are joining together to applaud this effort. Read more.
(2/17/07) Policy Forum Focuses on RGGI -- A capacity crowd of 200 legislators, business leaders, state agency staff, academics, activists, and members of the public attended a program about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) at which Governor John Baldacci committed his Administration to implementing a strong program to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. “We should not have a foreign policy based on foreign oil,” said the Governor, recognizing that the RGGI program can be implemented in a fashion so that “carbon credits” are auctioned to power plants, with the revenues from those sales being used to invest in energy efficiency. “We want all of the funds [raised from selling carbon credits] to be aimed at reducing dependence on foreign fuels,” added the Governor. The forum was hosted by the Muskie School of Public Service and Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, which together released a policy primer about RGGI last fall.