Overview

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative agreement among ten states in the Northeast to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuel power plants to a target level that is 10 percent lower than 2002–2004 emissions levels by the year 2018. The program is set to begin in January 2009.

States in the RGGI Region include: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

RGGI is a "cap-and-trade program" whereby a set number of allowances (to emit CO2) are allocated or auctioned by a RGGI state or, more likely, the RGGI Region.  Fossil-fuel power plants, such as PSNH's Merrimack, Newington, and Schiller Stations, will need to hold one allowance for every ton of CO2 that they produce.

RGGI in New Hampshire

Although RGGI’s overarching parameters are consistent in all ten states, each state has the opportunity to customize its RGGI design to best fit its specific needs. Legislation has been drafted in New Hampshire that outlines a proposed approach for our state.

PSNH believes that, with some important modifications, New Hampshire’s design can better achieve reductions in carbon emissions, while at the same time introducing safeguards to ensure an adequate supply of electricity and less volatile prices for New Hampshire consumers. PSNH’s proposed modifications would also make certain that every dollar paid by electricity customers toward RGGI would remain in our state to fund additional energy-efficiency and carbon-reduction programs.

Our intention is to ensure that New Hampshire’s RGGI design can withstand potential energy market disturbances, and serve as a successful model for a future national greenhouse gas initiative.

Learn more about RGGI

The following documents provide an in-depth look at RGGI and the Energy Outlook in New Hampshire.

Learn more about RGGI

"Making the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative work for NH" (PDF File Format 378KB)

"We See the Forest - What about the Trees?" Climate Change Policy Details are Critical to Success (PDF File Format 104KB)

"Climate Change & Electricity in NH" (PDF File Format 134KB)

"RGGI: How Other States Have Made the Model Rule Work for Them" (PDF File Format 86KB)

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