US: RGGI to hold first programme review meeting in November

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will hold its first meeting for its 2016 programme review on 17 November.

RGGI, which regulates power emissions from nine northeastern states, is required to hold a programme review every four years. The programme review for 2016 will begin with a stakeholder meeting at 10:00 on 17 November in New York.

The meeting will allow the carbon programme to hear comments from market participants about design elements, including ways to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan.

The EPA announced in August rules for existing power plants that would reduce US power emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. States would have the flexibility to create their own plans to reach those compliance goals.

RGGI officials have previously said the review will look at a variety of issues, including the cap and cost-containment reserve. Some analysts have said the cost-containment reserve would not work with the EPA’s finalised rule. dan.mcgraw@icis.com