State joins voluntary greenhouse gas emissions registry
Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News
Published May 9, 2007 at midnight
Colorado has joined 30 other states in a push to curtail global warming, setting up a program that will allow companies, utilities and governments to report and measure their greenhouse gas emissions in a uniform way.
The voluntary climate registry would ensure that polluters in different states are using the same yardstick to measure their emissions, and will allow other parties to accurately verify emissions and reductions.
Gov. Bill Ritter's office announced the state's participation Tuesday.
His climate adviser, Heidi VanGenderen, called the move "a great first step" in cutting global warming gases.
"It means that we recognize that we can only manage what we can effectively measure," she said. "And if we have an aim of reducing greenhouse gases over time, a registry effort becomes a very important ingredient in that process."
It's too soon to know which Colorado companies might participate, VanGenderen said. But the governor's office has had "several good conversations with key corporations in Colorado," including energy companies and the ski industry, she said.
At least one major Colorado company, Ball Corp. in Broomfield, already participates in a similar program run by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Xcel Energy, a major source of greenhouse gases because of its coal-burning power plants in the state, indicated possible interest in the registry.
"It's fair to say, from a company perspective, anything that gets us closer to everybody having the same rules under a clean energy standard is something we're all in favor of," said Xcel's Tom Henley.
State agencies, municipalities, educational institutions and nonprofit groups also can participate in the registry, which is modeled after a California program.
A registry in that state has operated since 2001 with more than 240 participants, certifying more than 320 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, roughly the annual emissions of Brazil.
Establishing a registry is an important prelude to creating a carbon market, VanGenderen said. Such a system allows companies that emit less pollution to sell credits to companies that pollute more. Such transactions require accurate and verifiable emission totals.
hartmant@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5048
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