The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI,” pronounced “reggie”) is an effort to reduce total large power plant emissions in the region by 10% by 2019. The 10 states have an aggregate economy that would be the world’s 7th largest if they were an independent nation. If enacted, House Bill 1434 would place New Hampshire in the RGGI program and enable NH to participate in a market based cap and trade program. The primary goal of cap and trade is to allow the marketplace to determine how to best achieve the maximum reductions at the least cost.
The public hearing on January 10 is hosted by the House of Representatives’ Science Science Technology and Energy Committee and will start at 9:30 a.m. in Representatives Hall.
The Forest Society strongly supports this legislation as a first step in the larger task of reducing carbon dioxide emissions economy wide, and encourages Society members to present testimony to the Committee on January 10 or communicate directly with Committee members to express your support. Please also express your thanks to the bill’s primary sponsors: Rep. Naida Kaen, Rep. Suzanne Harvey, Rep. Richard Barry, Sen. Margaret Hassan, Sen Martha Fuller Clark, Sen. Peter Bragdon, Sen. Robert Odell and Sen. Sylvia Larsen.
Click here to learn more about RGGI