Maryland And Other Northeast States’ Plan Deeper Cuts In Power Plant Pollution

Stronger Regional Program Will Reduce Global Warming Emissions

Power plant pollution in the Northeast would decline by more than 20 percent in the next decade under a plan announced today by Maryland’s and other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states’ environmental and energy officials.

“We applaud Governor O’Malley and his environmental team headed by Department of Environment Secretary Robert Summers for leading the way in tackling the pollution that contributes to global warming. Strengthening RGGI is one of the best ways we can lower the emissions that cause global warming. We look forward to working with Maryland officials to ensure these improvements are adopted,” said Tommy Landers, director of Environment Maryland.

O’Malley Administration officials announced improvements to a regional cap on carbon emissions, following a year-long review of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the nation’s first cap on carbon from power plants.

The proposal announced today would cap emissions from power plants in the region at current annual emission levels (91 million tons). The cap would take effect in 2014 and tighten, requiring emission reductions of 2.5 percent per year.

There was broad support from a broad range of stakeholder for strengthening the program. Last year, a coalition of more than 300 environmental and public health organizations, consumer advocates, and clean energy and mainstream businesses sent a letter to the states’ governors. The letter highlighted RGGI’s success to date and called for strengthening the program’s pollution reduction targets, and increasing investment in clean energy and energy efficiency measures that benefit the climate, the economy, public health and energy consumers.

“Even before Superstorm Sandy, public concern about extreme weather fueled by global warming was on the rise,” said Landers. “Now, it is even more urgent that Maryland and the other states in our region do all they can to tackle global warming and ensure that RGGI substantially reduces carbon pollution.”