Enigin Update - New England Business Look for Energy Efficiency Support
OVER 225 New England businesses issued a letter today urging the regions governors to support and improve the areas Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), pointing to the economic benefits.
State officials are now preparing for the 2012 Programme Review required by the original RGGI agreement - the region’s market-based energy efficiency and clean energy programme.
“We believe strong clean energy and clean air policies create jobs and stimulate economic growth. RGGI shows that market-based programmes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while boosting our economy,” the letter states. “By reducing spending on out-of-region fossil fuels, RGGI improves energy security and economic competitiveness and frees up energy dollars for spending in other parts of our economies.”
These business leaders recognize that RGGI is creating real economic benefits for their states and want to strengthen the programme still further. Leaders who signed the letter, coordinated by the New England Clean Energy Council, support improving the regional program in the upcoming RGGI Program Review by:
- updating the emissions cap to create more effective pricing signals; and
- taking steps to increase the scope of program beyond the 10 states by coordinating with other state and regional energy and climate programmes.
The strength of the economic sector that RGGI bolsters was highlighted in a Brookings Institution report released earlier this month. The clean economy in the RGGI footprint employs more than 466,000 people regionally and 2.7 million people in the nation – more than the biosciences and fossil fuel sectors, according to the report.
All 10 states in the RGGI footprint (New England and Mid-Atlantic States) have benefited from clean energy deployment, energy efficiency and job training programmes funded by RGGI proceeds. For every $1 invested in energy efficiency programs, economic output is increased by $4-6.
Businesses across the region signed the letter, including: owners of design shops, construction firms, and home energy auditors; investors and CEOs of solar and renewable companies; leaders of business associations; and more.
Enigin Distributors across the region are very interested to see support for all energy efficiency schemes, as they help local enterprises to improve energy efficiency by using solutions from Enigin plc.
Picture of New England by Doug Tone
