The people of New Jersey deserve cleaner air and good paying jobs in the clean energy sector. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – better known as RGGI, provides precisely these benefits. As the climate changes, we can no longer afford to be on the wrong side of history, for the sake of our children and our communities!
Background:
RGGI is an auction-like system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by selling and trading carbon dioxide emission credits to mega-polluters, such as large power plants. The proceeds of these auctions are then used to fund energy-efficient programs, renewable-energy projects and direct bill assistance. See RGGI.
RGGI was established in 2005 by the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, but Governor Christie withdrew from the initiative back in 2011. The New Jersey State Legislature’s attempts to re-enter the agreement were met with Governor...
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The people of New Jersey deserve cleaner air and good paying jobs in the clean energy sector. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – better known as RGGI, provides precisely these benefits. As the climate changes, we can no longer afford to be on the wrong side of history, for the sake of our children and our communities!
Background:
RGGI is an auction-like system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by selling and trading carbon dioxide emission credits to mega-polluters, such as large power plants. The proceeds of these auctions are then used to fund energy-efficient programs, renewable-energy projects and direct bill assistance. See RGGI.
RGGI was established in 2005 by the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, but Governor Christie withdrew from the initiative back in 2011. The New Jersey State Legislature’s attempts to re-enter the agreement were met with Governor Christie’s veto, despite the fact that the Appellate Court ruled that the governor could not unilaterally exit the program.
Benefits:
RGGI’s economic impact has been studied by research organizations such as the Analysis Group, which estimated that RGGI's first three years (from 2009 to the withdrawal in 2011) generated $1.6 billion in net economic benefit and 16,000 job-years for the participating states (see full report). In regards to the benefits specific to New Jersey, estimates show the state’s participation in RGGI created 1,772 jobs and generated $151 million. After New Jersey’s withdrawal, Analysis Group’s estimates tally the net economic benefit, for the states that remained in the program, at $1.3 billion and 14,700 job-years for the period 2011-2015.
Perhaps even more important than the economic benefits of RGGI are the health benefits. Studies from the Analysis Group confirm that the transition to cleaner energy in all participatory states is saving hundreds of lives, preventing thousands of asthma attacks and reducing medical impacts and expenses by billions of dollars.
It is time to re-enter RGGI. Please support this initiative NOW so that it becomes a top priority for the governor who will take office in November of 2017!
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