RGGI: An Absence of Authority

Here are the new DEC regulations that implement the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative:

Part 242: CO2 Budget Trading Program

• Subpart 242-1: CO2 Budget Trading Program General Provisions
• Subpart 242-2: Authorized Account Representative for CO2 Budget Sources
• Subpart 242-3: Permits
• Subpart 242-4: Compliance Certification
• Subpart 242-5: CO2 Allowance Allocations
• Subpart 242-6: CO2 Allowance Tracking System
• Subpart 242-7: CO2 Allowance Transfers
• Subpart 242-8: Monitoring and Reporting
• Subpart 242-9: Reserved
• Subpart 242-10: CO2 Emissions Offset Projects

Now, compare these with, eg., the long standing regulations that control Nitrous Oxide emissions:

Part 204: NOx Budget Trading Program

• Subpart 204-1: General Provisions
• Subpart 204-2: Authorized Account Representative For NOx Budget Sources
• Subpart 204-3: Permits
• Subpart 204-4: Compliance Certification
• Subpart 204-5: Allowance Allocations
• Subpart 204-6: Allowance Tracking System
• Subpart 204-7: NOx Allowance Transfers
• Subpart 204-8: Monitoring and Reporting
• Subpart 204-9: Individual Unit Opt-Ins

You don't have to read further than the headers of each section to see the difference.

The NOx regulations all have in their heading: "(Statutory authority: Environmental Conservation Law . . . ." . . .. But no such statement exists for the RGGI regulations. . . . and for good reason: The regulations were not authorized by the legislature.

Simply put, your electric bills are going to increase based on a program that the government currently has no legal authority to implement.