New Jersey Drops Carbon Trading

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) says his state will withdraw from the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative because it is an ineffective way to reduce CO₂ emissions. Christie says emission allowances traded through the consortium of northeastern U.S. states didn’t change behavior and did “nothing more than tax electricity, tax our citizens, tax our businesses, with no discernable or measurable impact upon our environment.” Increased use of low-cost natural gas has cut coal use and reduced emissions in the state, Christie says. State incentives favoring use of wind and solar energy will continue to reduce carbon emissions, he adds. The nine other states say they are committed to the regional initiative, which has been operating since 2008 (C&EN, Feb. 1, 2010, page 23).