Tagged: Regional Greenhouse Gas Inititiative

The House is again considering a bill that would repeal the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, a carbon cap and trade program.

Opponents and supporters of RGGI wearily filed into the Statehouse, ready to go over the well-rehearsed talking points that they used the last time the program was on the chopping block.

 Backers of the repeal say it will save people money on their electric bill. But Mike Fitzgerald with the Department of Environmental services, says repealing the program won’t bring down rates, and instead will just take away state revenue that is used to invest in energy efficiency.

We catch up with the Regional Greenhouse Gas initiative and look at two new reports that look at how important the program is to the Granite State

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative faces an uncertain future in some states. New Jersey plans to end its participation and New Hampshire has considered legislation that would do the same.

But a new analysis shows the carbon dioxide cap and trade program has saved consumers money and created jobs. Under the program, power producers buy pollution allowances at auction for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit.

The money raised in those auctions is spent in different ways among the states – from energy efficiency projects to balancing state budgets.