On April 20, 2007, Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the Northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), officially joining his state to the first multi-state greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade program in the U.S. Other participants include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. As members of RGGI, states agree to a regional cap-and-trade program covering power plant carbon dioxide emissions. RGGI aims to cap these emissions at approximately current levels between 2009 and 2015, and then reduce this level 10% by 2019.

On the same day, Governor O’Malley signed an executive order establishing a Maryland Climate Change Commission that will create a state action plan to address climate change. The Commission will assess the possible impacts of climate change; calculate Maryland’s contribution to the climate change problem; work together with various state agencies, energy providers, business leaders, and other groups to develop a greenhouse gas reduction strategy; and develop a plan for reducing the state’s vulnerability to sea level rise and other effects of climate change.

Press Release [1]
Executive Order [2]
RGGI Website [3]
More Information on RGGI [4]
Map of Regional Initiatives [5]
Map of States with Climate Change Commissions [6]