From Stephen C. Jones of GT Philadelphia:
The Western Climate Initiative (WCI) is a consortium of states and Canadian provinces which, as of 2012, are supposed to initiate a regional greenhouse gas cap and trade program. Given that the proposed Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord seems to be going nowhere, WCI would be the only US cap and trade program other than the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and the only such program that attempts to cover all segments of the economy. Arizona and several other states have indicated over the last year or two that they will not be ready to participate. This has left only two states, California and New Mexico, that were making any significant progress toward participating in WCI. Last week, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez sent a strong signal that New Mexico is reconsidering its participation. Citing their “anti-business stance,” Governor Martinez has dismissed all members of the state’s Environmental Improvement Board that cast votes approving New Mexico’s cap and trade regulations. Whether the next step will be the repeal of the regulations is not clear, but it is appearing more and more likely that California, and perhaps a few Canadian provinces, will be the only members of WCI.