Various media outlets have reported that energy regulators from four U.S. Western states, California, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico, signed an agreement to cooperate to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
Reportedly, the agreement between the public utilities commissions of these states is likely to draw in other states in the West.
The meeting of the four state commissions in San Francisco to adopt a "Joint Action Framework on Climate Change," drew regulatory and legislative representatives from Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada and even a group from Australia.
One would expect legislation in each state would be required to carry out this program, but the agreement may signal more states are going to enter multi-state agreements to address energy and climate change issues. Seven northeastern states have already entered the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and are in the process of developing this program to address greenhouse gas emissions from northeastern utilitites.
