Northeast outpacing other regions in emissions reductions
As the Environmental Protection Agency this week took strict rule-making steps to require states to lower energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Tuesday that total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2013 were 10 percent below 2005 levels.
The EIA reported emissions declines in the West, South, Midwest and the Northeast, where the largest emissions reductions were recorded. Massachusetts and eight other Northeast and mid-Atlantic states have for years been engaged in a regional cap and trade system to reduce power plant emissions, a compact that supporters are pointing to as the model for the new federal efforts to reduce power plant emissions pollution by 30 percent by 2030.
According to EIA, Vermont and New Hampshire are among the top five states with the cleanest electricity sources and New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts are the top three lowest emitting states per unit of economic output.
Gov. Deval Patrick is on a trade trip through Israel, Abu Dhabi and Dubai promoting renewable energy. On his trip, Patrick visited a road in Masdar City where Massachusetts-based SolarOne provided 306 solar-powered streetlights. SolarOne in May was awarded an $89,000 state grant, with a $58,000 match, to demonstrate with CIMSON Software a networked, off-the-grid solar lighting for pedestrian and bicycle paths in Somerville.
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