STUDY ON BENEFITS TO INDUSTRY SPARKS DEBATE ON NORTHEAST CLIMATE PLAN

Northeast states are debating how to design an upcoming cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases, in light of a new analysis cautioning that electric utilities in the region could profit under the initiative by passing compliance costs on to consumers. The study by the think tank Resources for the Future (RFF) shows that if Northeast states base their upcoming carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions trading scheme on EPA's acid rain program, electric generators in the region could benefit from higher electricity prices...