The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or RGGI (pronounced Reggie) is a cap-and-trade system that has been in place in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. for over 2 years now. It has been highly successful and has generated $729 million for renewable energy investment, energy efficiency programs, and consumer assistance programs.

Unfortunately, Tea Partiers and Republicans have the intention to pull the plug on the system in New Jersey... (because its success may encourage the creation and development of other such programs around the nation or even on the federal level).

Additionally, New Jersey, unlike other states in the program, has used most of the revenue it has generated from RGGI for general purposes ($65 million of $83 million), instead of for the purposes listed above that create jobs and improve our energy systems.

Sign the letter below to New Jersey state representatives encouraging them to keep RGGI in place and use RGGI proceeds as they are supposed to be used.

Photo Credit: pwbaker via flickr (CC license)