Nine governors and the Premier of Manitoba have signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord at the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) Energy Security and Climate Change Summit in Milwaukee, Wis.
The agreement, signed by Govs. Jim Doyle, D-Wis.; Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn; Rod Blagojevich, D-Ill.; Mitch Daniels, R-Ind.; Chester J. Culver, D-Iowa; Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich.; Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kan.; Ted Strickland, D-Ohio; M. Michael Rounds, R-S.D.; and Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba, will serve as a regional strategy to achieve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that cause global warming.
The accord will establish GHG reduction targets and time frames consistent with MGA member states' targets; develop a market-based and multi-sector cap-and-trade mechanism to help achieve those reduction targets; establish a system to enable tracking, management and crediting for entities that reduce GHG; andádevelop and implement additional steps, as needed, to achieve the reduction targets.
Within the next year, the governors and other participating jurisdictional leaders will establish targets for GHG emission reductions and complete development of a proposed cap-and-trade system. Indiana, Ohio and South Dakota are signing the agreement as observers to participate in the formation of the regional cap-and-trade system.
As part of the summit, the midwestern states, including Nebraska and North Dakota, also adopted an energy security and climate stewardship platform. The platform establishes shared goals for the Midwest, including specific timelines for the advancement of energy efficiency, the promotion of bio-based products, the production of renewable electricity and the development of advance coal and carbon capture and storage.
