Vermont, New Hampshire and 9 other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states have agreed to create a low carbon fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gases.
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles on Monday said the states will come up with a single standard that would apply to the entire region, creating a larger market for cleaner fuels and the development of clean energy technologies.
Low carbon fuel standards require reductions in the average greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy. It can apply to fuel used for transportation, but also for home heating fuel.
Fuels that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions include electricity and biofuels.
The other states that are part of the initiative include New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.