OAKLAND, CA — Arizona will no longer participate in a regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program that was to begin in 2012 because of fears it would stall an economic recovery in the state.
Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order (PDF) last week in which she argued the Western Climate Initiative's (WRI) cap-and-trade program would devastate Arizona's economy. The state will instead focus on initiatives that grow nuclear, solar and other renewable energy sources.
Arizona is a founding member of WRI, a coalition of seven states and four Canadian provinces that banned together in 2007 to address climate change, citing a lack of federal leadership. It released a draft plan in 2008 that aimed to reduce emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, largely through a cap-and-trade system. Although it was slated to begin 2012, California is reportedly the only member prepared to begin participating in the cap-and-trade at that time.
Arizona isn't completely pulling out of WCI, which the state joined with the support of the previous governor, Janet Napolitano, now the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
"It's very important for the state to stay engaged, to be at the table, but it's also important to convey clearly our position on how to make progress," Benjamin Grumbles, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, told the Arizona Republic. "Right now, given the economic downturn, given the complexity of the cap-and-trade scheme being developed, we're not going to be supportive of it."
Gov. Brewer's order also calls for a second look at tighter vehicle emissions rules scheduled to begin in 2012, but also directs the state of proceed with the green conversion of its fleet.
Image CC-licensed by Flickr user Mike Schmid.