Editor,

One of the things that always amazes me about our state is our modesty. We have much to be proud of and often aren’t the best at tooting our own horn. I had this experience yet again earlier this month while attending the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in Boston. NCSL is a non-partisan organization that studies state policies and trends, and brings lawmakers together to share ideas.

This year, I represented Maine at NCSL as a member of the national Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee, and my time at the meeting was focused largely on learning about issues relating to energy and climate change. Like in many other policy areas, Maine is not only ahead of the curve, but leading the pack in its efforts to promote energy alternatives and reduce pollution. What makes us different, though, is how we’re creating incentives to make it feasible for homeowners to go green and utilize and renewable resources.

For instance, Maine entered into a compact called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) with nine other states this year to limit carbon emissions. While many expected that big businesses would balk at being asked to reduce pollution, corporations and energy producers and delivery companies all sat eagerly at the table with legislators and regulators to come up with a meaningful solution. RGGI’s goal is to decrease carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 10 percent below the current levels by 2019, and continue to reduce pollution and encourage energy alternatives well after that.

Altogether, Maine and these nine other states represent the seventh greatest concentration of carbon emitters in the world. Without the RGGI agreement, it’s estimated that those emissions would increase by another 30 percent. At NCSL, I met with other legislators from our compact, and lawmakers from throughout the nation were looking to us to show them how to do what Maine has accomplished.

Promoting energy alternatives while keeping costs down for businesses and homeowners is an ongoing priority here in Maine, and we should be proud of initiatives like rebate programs for compact fluorescent light bulbs and solar energy panels, as well as incentives for the production of biodiesel, biomass and wind power.

If you’re interested in learning more about Maine’s work to reduce global warming or how you can make your own home more environmentally friendly, please feel free to call me at home at 892-6591, or e-mail me at RepMarkBryant@yahoo.com.

Rep. Mark Bryant

Windham