An effectiveness analysis of implementing the Regional Clean Air Incentives Market (RECLAIM) program to reduce emissions in the South Coast Air Basin

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:353536

Mueller, P ^[1]

---

1. South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, CA (United States)

RECLAIM, a tradeable emissions credit program, has been a key strategy to reduce NO{sub x} and SO{sub x} emissions in the South Coast Air Basin since January 1994. The emissions and trade activities data collected over the past three years shows that this market-driven model is the major instrument in reducing NO{sub 2}x an SO{sub x} emissions from stationary sources in California`s South Coast Air Basin, while providing a high degree of implementation flexibility to industrial sources. Under the program, the emissions have been reduced beyond the designed values. In addition, the monitoring systems specified in the program provide for more accurate reporting of emissions. The trading market under RECLAIM has been highly active. More than 19,000 tons of NO{sub x} and 7,000 tons of SO{sub x} have been traded to date, at a total value of more than 22 million dollars. A large number of credits were traded for future years, which indicates that many RECLAIM facilities can reduce their control costs by purchasing credits from other facilities which have reduced their emissions more cost-effectively. Although considered a closed-market system, RECLAIM is designed to interact with credits generated under the open-market system as well. Currently, emissions reduction credits generated by specific types of mobile source activities can be used by RECLAIM facilities. In the near future, emission credits from area-wide stationary sources will also be allowed for use by RECLAIM facilities. Based on three years of implementation experience, RECLAIM has proven to be a cost-effective tool for reducing emissions as well as providing for greater operational flexibility for industrial sources.

• OSTI ID: 353536
• Report Number(s): CONF-970677--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CALIFORNIA
EMISSION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NITROGEN OXIDES
POLLUTION SOURCES
R CODES
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
SULFUR OXIDES