Christie Pulls NJ Out Of Greenhouse Gas Fighting Consortium
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - New Jersey will put out of a 10-state compact that was aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Christie contends that it's just not working and says the state will end its participation by the end of the year.
Some call it "cap and trade," others "Reggie" for its true title: the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Whatever the name, Christie says it's just not achieving its goal to make it more expensive to use polluting energy sources like coal.
The governor cites studies indicating that New Jersey is already cleaning up its air and says that will continue.
But, Christie said today, "we're not going to do it by participating in gimmicky programs that haven't worked. In the end, our view is it's better to do things the right way than to do things the politically correct way."
Christie says New Jersey will no longer approve any new energy projects that use coal, and will soon unveil an energy plan that promotes solar and wind power generation. Nuclear could be a part of that plan, too, although Christie is not yet ready to back a new PSE&G plant in Salem County that's on the drawing board.
It's feared New Jersey's withdrawal from RGGI could doom the whole project. If that happens, Christie suggests, it wasn't worth it from the beginning.
Pennsylvania is not part of the RGGI consortium.
Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060
