Five States and D.C. to Look at Options to Jointly Reduce Transportation Sector Carbon Emissions
NEW YORK (November 24, 2015) – Five Northeastern states and the District of Columbia announced a commitment today to look at options to jointly reduce carbon emissions from their transportation sectors, including market-based possibilities building upon the success of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The following is a statement by Kit Kennedy, director of the Energy and Transportation Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council:
"Today's announcement represents a tremendous step forward for cutting pollution while supporting clean transportation policies, including greater mobility options and less need for driving in these six localities. This groundbreaking announcement to pursue a multi-state strategy to cut transportation sector emissions also is significant because it represents additional clean energy leadership by New York this week and comes on the eve of the Paris climate talks where collaboration will be essential if we are to solve the greatest challenge of our time – climate change.”
On Monday, it was announced that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would direct the New York Public Service Commission to adopt a requirement that 50 percent of the state's electricity come from renewable sources like solar, wind, and offshore wind by 2030.
More details on the multi-state initiative will be available from Deron Lovaas, director of state/federal policy & practice at NRDC’s Urban Solutions program at his blog: switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dlovaas/