Cutting Pollution, Cutting Costs

How New Jersey Can Maximize the Benefits of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

New Jersey and nine other northeastern states took a pioneering step to address global warming with adoption of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first regional cap-and-trade program for global warming pollution in the nation’s history. The RGGI agreement, however, gives individual states discretion over how to implement key parts of the program. Cutting Pollution, Cutting Costs describes how New Jersey can maximize the benefits of RGGI by auctioning pollution allowances and avoiding loopholes that would weaken the program.

Report

New Jersey and nine other northeastern states took a pioneering step to address global warming with adoption of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first regional cap-and-trade program for global warming pollution in the nation’s history. The RGGI agreement, however, gives individual states discretion over how to implement key parts of the program. Cutting Pollution, Cutting Costs describes how New Jersey can maximize the benefits of RGGI by auctioning pollution allowances and avoiding loopholes that would weaken the program.

Authors

Tony Dutzik

Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group

Tony Dutzik is associate director and senior policy analyst with Frontier Group. His research and ideas on climate, energy and transportation policy have helped shape public policy debates across the U.S., and have earned coverage in media outlets from the New York Times to National Public Radio. A former journalist, Tony lives and works in Boston.