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Maine
Related Links
Definitions
Planning and Measurement | Targets and Caps | Reporting | Power Sector | Transportation Sector
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Planning and Measurement
State Advisory Board
Status: No Activity Identified
Regional Initiatives
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering CO2 emissions from power plants in the region. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Some legislative approvals are still pending before the first-of-its-kind auction will take place on behalf of all 10 states.
In 2001, the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ ECP) released a Climate Action Plan which establishes regional goals and identifies steps to address those aspects of global warming which are within the region's control. In 2000, the NEG/ECP adopted resolution 25-9 on global warming, recognizing its potentially harmful impacts on the environment and the economy and the need for a regional approach to address it.
GHG Inventory
Status: Completed
Details: The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) published a regional GHG inventory for the New England states in 2004 with support from EPA. State-specific inventory completed in 1995.
- http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/rpt040315ghg.pdf
- http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/downloads/MESummary.PDF
Climate Change Action Plan
Status: Completed
Details: Maine adopted and released an updated state action plan on December 1, 2004 to meet reduction goals set in 2003 legislation. The state completed a plan in 2000 and is a signatory to the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) regional Climate Change Action Plan 2001.
- http://www.state.me.us/spo/pubs/origpdf/pdf/ClimateReport.pdf
- http://maineghg.raabassociates.org/finalplan.asp
Targets and Caps
Lead by Example Target
Status: No Activity Identified
Statewide GHG Target
Status: Completed
Details: Legislation passed in 2003 (An Act To Provide Leadership in Addressing the Threat of Climate Change) to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and further reductions in the long term. Efforts are part of the New England Governors and Eastern Candadian Premiers regional agreements.
- http://janus.state.me.us/legis/ros/lom/LOM121st/5Pub201-250/Pub201-250-44.htm
- http://www.negc.org/environment.html
Statewide GHG Cap
Status: Proposed
Details: Announced membership in the International Carbon Action Partnership on October 29, 2007 - a group of public authorities and governments that have established or are actively pursuing carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems as one approach for reducing GHG emissions.
Reporting
Electricity Disclosure
Status: Completed
Details: Maine's 1997 restructuring legislation requires that competitive electricity providers disclose contract, resource mix, and emissions information to customers in a uniform format.
- http://www.maine.gov/mpuc/electricity/standard_offer/disclosure_labels.shtml
- http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=ME06R&state=ME&CurrentPageID=1&RE=1&EE=1
GHG Registry
Status: In Progress
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. Maine is developing implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI.
Member of The Climate Registry - a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system across states, provinces, and tribes. It will provide an accurate, complete, consistent, transparent, and verified set of GHG emissions data from reporting entities, supported by a robust accounting and verification infrastructure. Members released a final General Reporting Protocol in May 2008. The Climate Registry plans to start accepting data in summer 2008.
Mandatory GHG Reporting
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), under which entities in the power sector will be required to report (and reduce) their GHG emissions. RGGI's first compliance period will begin January 1, 2009. ME's implementation rules for the state's participation in RGGI became effective in Summer 2008.
Since the 2005 compliance year, the ME Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has required any facility that emits any criteria pollutant over its reporting threshold to also report GHG emissions.
- http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/emissions/ghg-rptng.htm
- http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/greenhouse/rggi.htm
- http://www.rggi.org/docs/program_summary_10_07.pdf
Power Sector
CO2 Offset Requirements
Status: No Activity Identified
GHG Performance Standard
Status: No Activity Identified
Advanced Coal Technology
Status: No Activity Identified
Power Sector GHG Cap and Trade
Status: Completed
Details: Member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cooperative effort by Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states to establish a regional cap-and-trade program initially covering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the region. On March 17, 2008, participating states announced plans for a carbon dioxide allowance auction to be held September 25, 2008, as part of a cap-and-trade program to take effect beginning January 1, 2009. Maine will participate in the September 25, 2008, auction. In June 2007, enacted LD 1851, "An Act to Establish the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act of 2007" which formalizes Maine's entry into RGGI, establishes funding for clean energy technologies, and requires that 100% of allowances be used for consumer benefit, with proceeds of an auction being deposited in an Energy and Carbon Savings Trust. Maine plans to auction between 85 and 90 percent of its CO2 allowances each year.
Transportation Sector
GHG Auto Standards
Status: In Progress
Details: In 2005, Maine adopted amendments to its New Motor Vehicle Emission Standards, which incorporated California's GHG standard. On January 2, 2008, California filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. EPA's denial of the state's effort to regulate GHG emissions from motor vehicles, in response to EPA's rejection of a petition for a Clean Air Act waiver on December 19, 2007. A waiver is required for California and other states to implement a vehicle emissions standard tougher than the federal one. The proposed auto standard calls for the reduction of GHG emissions from new vehicles of 22% by 2012 and 30% by 2016.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Status: No Activity Identified