Vermont Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz says the Obama administration's plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions by a third over the next 15 years will be good for the state.
Markowitz made the comments Monday even though Vermont is the only state exempted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule. “It’s looking at existing power plants, of which Vermont has none that would come under this authority. So in that way we’ve been exempted from some of the provisions of the law.”
Markowitz says the state will work with other New England states on a regional basis to meet broader goals of reducing emissions.
For example, she says the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative could be expanded to other states. The initiative works to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through a cap and trade system. She says it has brought millions of dollars to Vermont, which has been used to promote energy efficiency.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.