Nearly half of U.S. states are taking steps—in varying degrees—to prepare climate legislation and institute cap-and-trade measures at the local level.
California's is by far the most comprehensive state system being instituted, and cap-and-trade is to begin in the state in 2012. Indeed, Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, the regulator responsible for implementing cap-and-trade, calls it the "capstone of our climate policy".
But it is not the first state system to move on cap-and-trade.
Ten north-eastern and mid-Atlantic states capped and began reducing carbon dioxide emissions in January 2009. That Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is working to reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector 10 per cent by 2018.
Another group of six states and one Canadian province have been working since 2007 in the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord to form their own system. And then there is the Western Climate Initiative of seven states, including California, and four Canadian provinces.
It does appear that Southeast, including Tennessee, may not be at the forefront of this movement:
Yet he notes the regions not yet moving on cap-and-trade are those most dependent upon fossil fuels and major carbon emitters – the southeast and the lower midwest. That includes states like Texas, which not only are not moving on cap-and-trade but are among those fighting to keep the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions within their borders.
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