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RGGI CO2 Budget Trading Programs
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative effort by ten Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to limit greenhouse gas emissions. RGGI is the first mandatory, market-based CO2 emissions reduction program in the United States.
The states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont are signatory states to the RGGI agreement. These ten states will cap CO2 emissions from the power sector, and then require a 10 percent reduction in these emissions by 2018.
RGGI is composed of individual CO2 Budget Trading Programs in each of the ten participating states. These ten programs are implemented through state regulations, based on a RGGI Model Rule, and are linked through CO2 allowance reciprocity. Regulated power plants will be able to use a CO2 allowance issued by any of the ten participating states to demonstrate compliance with the state program governing their facility. Taken together, the ten individual state programs will function as a single regional compliance market for carbon emissions.
For more information about RGGI: http://rggi.org/about
The RGGI CO2 Allowance Tracking System (COATS)
is the primary platform for managing CO2 allowance accounts
under state CO2 Budget Trading Programs. For sources regulated under a state CO2 Budget Trading Program,
facility, unit, and authorized account representative data for compliance accounts will be propagated
from EPA's Clean Air Markets Division (CAMD) database to COATS every five minutes. Electronic submission
agent assignments, general accounts, and allowance transfers for state CO2 Budget Trading Programs
can only be managed in COATS. COATS may be accessed at
www.rggi-coats.org.
Note that each state
will approve the creation of compliance accounts for sources located in that state prior to creation
of the accounts in COATS. This process will allow implementation of state-specific requirements
such as requirements to submit paper forms to the appropriate state, and may delay creation of
compliance accounts and propagation of data to COATS.
Sources can use CBS to submit RGGI Certificate of Representation data, such as, add/edit facility
or unit data; add/edit Designated Representatives, or owners/operators. Alternatively, you may complete
the
RGGI Certificate of Representation form.
Please note that the Designated Representatives (Primary and Alternate) for the Acid Rain, CAIR, and RGGI programs must be the same. If you are changing a representative for Acid Rain, CAIR, or RGGI, you must submit the Acid Rain/CAIR Certificate of Representation AND the RGGI Certificate of Representation.
The NOX Budget Trading Program has a separate Certificate of Representation.