Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Taking Action in Maine

Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Augusta, Maine

Overview: 

On  Wednesday, February 7, 2007 in Augusta, Maine, Governor John Baldacci and some of Maine's leading experts on environmental policy participated in a conference on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Seven northeastern governors, including Baldacci, signed onto the initiative in December 2005.  RGGI aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector by ten percent below 2009 levels by 2019.  

 

An introduction to RGGI was provided by Kathleen P. Bell, Professor of Resource Economics and Policy at the University of Maine. 

 

The conference featured a distinguished panel including: Commissioner David Littell of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection,  Kurt Adams from the Maine Public Utilities Commission, Steve Ward from the Maine Office of the Public Advocate, and Colby College's Tom Tietenberg. 

 

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center staff member, Jonathan Rubin moderated the panel. 

 

John Rankin, United Kingdom Council-General to New England, gave the keynote address.

 

Faculty members at the University of Maine's Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and the University of Southern Maine's Muskie School of Public Service helped arrange the forum.  Those research and outreach centers also worked together in 2006 to produce a comprehensive primer on RGGI and the related issues.

Related Information and Materials

• Sogonoff, S. & Rubin, J. (2007, March). The regional greenhouse gas initiative: taking action in Maine. Environment 49(2), 9-16.

• A Primer for Maine: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative 
  (revised edition)

• Forum on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Decisions for Maine.  2/7/07 keynote address by UK Consul-General John Rankin.

• A Primer for Maine: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
  2/7/07 power point presentation by Dr. Kathleen P. Bell, Dept. of Resource Economics and Policy, University of Maine (653KB)

• Climate Change in Maine. Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA).  2/7/07 power point presentation by Professor Bruce Anderson, Boston University (2.2 MB)

• RGGI in Maine.  CO2 Cap & Trade Legislation (http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/Littell%20Forumweb.pdf). 
  2/7/07 power point presentation by David Littell, Commissioner, Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection. 

• State seeks windfall on energy plan  (Bangor Daily News, 2/8/2007)

• RGGI Web site (http://www.rggi.org/)

• Seven-State RGGI Memorandum of Understanding (http://www.rggi.org/agreement.htm)