None The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire Press Releases Search All Press Releases Eric Aldrich 603-224-5853, ext. 26 E-mail: ealdrich@tnc.org

Nature Conservancy Applauds N.H. Lawmakers for
Passing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Program puts Northeast in lead of combating climate-change emissions.

CONCORD, N.H. — June 11, 2008 — The Nature Conservancy today applauds Gov. John Lynch, and the N.H. House and Senate for passing legislation that takes great strides toward reducing carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Gov. Lynch today signed legislation that authorizes New Hampshire to take part in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative with nine other states.
 
“We are gratified to see that HB 1434 has been signed into law, setting the details and structure for New Hampshire’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” said Daryl Burtnett, state director of The Nature Conservancy. “This program puts 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in the lead of innovative and workable efforts to curtail carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power plants, one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases.”
 
Deserving particular praise, Burtnett said, are Gov. Lynch and the bill’s sponsors: Senators Margaret Hassan, Martha Fuller Clark, Bob Odell, and Sylvia Larsen and Representatives Naida Kaen, Suzanne Harvey, and Richard Barry.

“This program will serve as a catalyst for additional regional and national action,” Burtnett said. “We applaud Governor Lynch and House and Senate leaders for their efforts to once again position New Hampshire as a leader in developing policies to make our air cleaner.  More attention needs to be paid to this issue and more actions are needed to continue reducing heat-trapping emissions and minimizing the threats that climate change poses to people, businesses, and natural communities.”
 
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is an agreement of 10 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a flexible, market-based “cap and trade” program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the region’s power plants with little or no cost to electricity consumers.  The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont have signed agreements to participate in the initiative.
 
RGGI places caps on carbon dioxide emissions from electric generation facilities and allows trading of emission-reduction allowances to meet those caps. By turning emission reductions into a marketable asset, RGGI creates incentives for companies to invest in emission reduction technologies and gives businesses the flexibility to meet reduction goals at the lowest costs.  In fact, this new regional climate accord would improve energy efficiency and could save the typical residential customer about $50 per year, according to analysis sponsored by nine Northeast states.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.  To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Since 1961 The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has helped protect more than 265,000 acres of ecologically significant land and currently owns and manages 28 preserves across the state. For more information, visit www.nature.org/newhampshire