NY Governor Paterson Statement In Support Of Federal Legislation Addressing Climate Change And Clean Energy

September 30, 2009 -- “By investing in efficient and renewable energy resources, not only do we aid in New York's and the nation's transition to a clean energy economy, we will also create green jobs and help control energy costs.

“These are efforts that are already underway here in New York State, where I have set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent below the levels emitted in 1990 by the year 2050. New York is also a charter member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first mandatory, market-based carbon dioxide emissions reduction program in the United States. We intend to utilize RGGI auction proceeds to further our clean energy goals.

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“I applaud Senator Boxer, Senator Kerry and our nation's leaders for introducing legislation that recognizes the need to address climate change at the federal level and build a new clean energy economy. I strongly support this aggressive action and believe that a national cap-and-trade framework similar to RGGI is essential to any such legislation.”

Source: New York Governor