Despite acknowledging the reality of climate change, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill that would include the state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which is designed to control carbon emissions.
It was the second veto of its kind for Christie in the past year. The governor pulled the state out of RGGI in May 2011, calling the cap-and-trade program “gimmicky.” In a message about his latest veto, the Star-Leger reports, Christie said RGGI represented a tax on electricity and doesn’t give electrical plants an incentive to limit greenhouse gasses.
But environmental groups say RGGI, which covers 10 states, has added more than $1.8 billion dollars to the economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent and created almost 18,000 “job-years” since its start in 2008. The initiative works by auctioning off the right to generate carbon dioxide. Revenue from the auctions go toward energy-efficiency programs, and the price for polluting gives power plants an incentive to become greener.
One study found that while RGGI initially raised electricity bills slightly, the increase was more than made up for by the economic benefits of auction revenue investments.
In New Jersey, RGGI has helped pay for projects like a solar array at William Paterson University in Wayne and an energy-efficient power system at University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.
The National Resources Defense Council and Environment New Jersey are challenging Christie’s original withdrawal from RGGI in court, claiming he failed to follow state law regarding proper notice and the opportunity for public comment. Both houses of the New Jersey legislature have voted twice to rejoin RGGI, but Christie has vetoed both votes.
The Start-Leger notes that the veto came despite Christie’s statements that climate change is “impacting our state” and “human activity plays a role in these changes.”
Main image credit: New Jersey governor’s office