Global Warming News

As the new home of ConnPIRG's environmental work, Environment Connecticut can be contacted regarding this news release. 

HARTFORD—A major new report released today finds that a small number of the northeast's power plant owners produce the lion's share of power sector global warming pollution in the region. The report identifies companies that own power plants that rank among the dirtiest and least efficient in the region.

Ten power companies emitted 64 percentof the global warming pollution from northeastern power plants, while producing only 33 percentof the region's energy. PSEG, NRG Energy, and Dominion own some of the most polluting power plant fleets in the region.

The report also analyzed plant-by-plant data and finds that the fifty dirtiest power plants in the region, including 5 in Connecticut, emit 80 percentof the sector's global warming pollution while only producing 45 percentof the region's energy. A total of 188 facilities produced electricity for the northeast during 2004.

Governor Jodi Rell of Connecticut and other northeastern governors are currently negotiating an agreement on a cap and trade proposal to reduce global warming pollution from power plants in the region. (The so-called Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI.) This report highlights the necessity for the RGGI proposal to require significant reductions of global warming pollution from the region's dirtiest and least efficient power plants. Advocacy organizations have called for the governor's to use the RGGI agreement to require a 25 percentreduction of power plant emissions by 2020.

"As this report points out, reducing global warming pollution means reducing emissions from our oldest, dirtiest power plants," said Christopher Phelps of ConnPIRG. "Governor Rell has an opportunity this summer to provide leadership in this regional effort against global warming by committing to a 25 percentreduction in power plant emissions over the next 15 years."

While the Bush administration and Congress have failed to take action to tackle global warming, Connecticut and other states have moved forward in recent years with policies to reduce emissions of global warming pollution. Connecticut in particular has been a leader in the effort to reduce emissions with a regional strategy encompassing the Northeastern states. In 2004, the state enacted numerous pieces of legislation to reduce emissions through tough tailpipe standards, energy efficiency measures and creation of a climate action plan to achieve both short and long-term reductions of Connecticut's emissions of global warming pollution.

"We need our officials in Connecticut to take the next step in pushing the region towards a cleaner energy future. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will give power plant owners a financial incentive to build more efficient facilities and invest in clean, renewable technologies. Governor Rell and DEP Commissioner McCarthy need to ensure that this program lives up to its promise and sharply cuts power plant pollution and set yet another precedent for the nation," said Roger Smith of Clean Water Action.

The report analyzed emissions from 188 electric generating plants in a nine-state region including New England, New York, New Jersey and Delaware, using Department of Energy data on facility fuel use during 2004.

Copies of the report are available directly from ConnPIRG and Clean Water Action and may also be accessed online at www.connpirg.org.

The Connecticut Public Interest Research Group is a non-profit, nonpartisan public interest advocacy organization working to protect Connecticut's environment, defend consumers and ensure strong democratic institutions. www.connpirg.org

Clean Water Action is a non-profit environmental health organization with three-quarters of a million members nationwide and 10,000 members in Connecticut. CWA currently coordinates the Connecticut Climate Coalition, a coalition of over 85 organizations whose memberships represent over 500,000 Connecticut citizens. Together we are working to reduce the negative health, economic, and environmental impacts of global warming.
Website: www.cleanwateraction.org/ct