The regulations will apply to the state's six dirtiest power plants, which produce 40 percent of the electricity used in Massachusetts. This sets the bar for any other state that is doing power plant clean ups,'' said Conrad Schneider, a spokesman for Clean Air Task Force, a national environmental advocacy group that monitors power plant emissions. Proposals to limit carbon dioxide emissions surged onto the national scene last month when Swift's fellow Republican, President Bush, reversed a campaign pledge to push for carbon dioxide power plant limits. Swift said as she announced the new Massachusetts regulations. Power plants would be required to cut average carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent under the new regulations.
Many scientists believe such emissions are causing the Earth to warm significantly.
Efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions have often presented a political challenge for state officials because the reductions have little direct impact locally. The consensus estimate was 18 cents until March 16, when the company said profits would be between 12 to 14 cents per share because of price pressure from competitors and weak U.S. personal computer sales. Compaq also announced then it was cutting 5,000 jobs.