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REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE

**AUCTION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS NOW AVAILABLE**

 

What is RGGI?
rggi states

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI (pronounced “Reggie”), is a cooperative effort by ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce regional carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions that are contributing to global climate change. CO 2 is a “greenhouse gas” (GHG) because it contributes to the sun's warming of the earth's surface. Human activity has increased the concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere which is contributing to increases globally in average air and ocean temperatures, the melting of polar snow and ice, and a rising global average sea level. RGGI has established a goal of reducing carbon emissions from large fossil fuel-fired power plants in the RGGI region (the “RGGI power plants”) by 10% by the year 2018. These power plants comprise about 7 percent of the power sector emissions in the entire country. RGGI is the first regulation of global warming emissions in the United States . It is a flexible, market-based cap-and-trade program to achieve real greenhouse gas emission reductions at the lowest possible cost.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) - DEP Issue Profile - pdf format.

The First Auction

The September 25th auction will offer 12,565,387 CO2 allowances, including CO2 allowances issued by Connecticut , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Rhode Island and Vermont . Any CO2 allowances purchased at this auction can be used by a regulated facility for compliance in any of the RGGI states, even if that state does not offer allowances in this auction. The ten-state RGGI region has a total of 188 million allowances to sell by 2011, and Maine 's pro-rata share is about 6 million allowances. Maine is offering 872,506 allowances for the September 25th auction.

Where can I find Auction Application Materials and Information?

http://www.rggi.org/trading_auctions.htm

Chapter 156 (CO2 Budget Trading Program) Application Materials


Press Releases

60-day Bidding Process Opens for First-in-the-Nation Carbon Emissions Allowance Auction

 

Maine's RGGI Laws and Regulations

Public Law 2007, Chapter 317

Public Law 2007, Chapter 608

Chapter 156 CO2 Budget Trading Program

Chapter 157 CO2 Budget Trading Program Waiver and Suspension

Chapter 158 CO2 Budget Trading Program Auction Provisions