November 15, 2010

New Mexico adopts strong greenhouse gas rules


On the same day Californians went to the polls and overwhelmingly affirmed their commitment to a clean energy future, New Mexico's pioneering climate and energy legislation regulators approved a set of comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions reduction regulations that are more aggressive than any other such rules in the country.


In yet another positive indication that working at the state level can yield excellent results, New Mexico has adopted rules that will require about 63 facilities, primarily fossil fuel-fired power plants and oil and gas operations that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually, to start cutting emissions by 2 percent per year below 2010 levels, beginning in 2012.

In a 4-3 vote, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) approved two sets of proposed global warming regulations:  the first establishes rules for Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Verification and the other deals more specifically with Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade regulations.


No comments: