New Jersey’s State Assembly on Thursday brought the state a step closer to rejoining RGGI by backing a resolution to overturn the Christie administration’s decision to repeal the rules implementing the cap-and-trade programme.

The Assembly voted 46-32 in favour of the Democrat-backed resolution, which stated that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was “not consistent with the intent of the legislature” when it repealed the RGGI regulatory scheme in Oct. 2014.

The DEP now has 30 days to consider whether it wishes to withdraw or amend the repeal proposal. After that, the State Assembly can vote on the resolution again, and a simple majority vote in favour would mean New Jersey would rejoin RGGI.

Governor Chris Christie originally withdrew from the regional carbon market in 2011, and has since vetoed two state Senate bills calling for New Jersey to re-enter the programme.

The state emitted 105 million tonnes of CO2 in 2013, according to EIA data, of which nearly 29 million came from the electric power sector.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

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