Organizers Call Regional Emissions Plan A Success

"It's the only real cap-and-trade program that is operating in this country," Corzine said. "It's not perfect — I think it (excludes) far too many carbon producers — but it's off to a good start."

The governor's energy master plan calls for a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 20,000 green jobs in New Jersey by 2020, Corzine said. It also calls for 20 percent of the state's energy to be generated from renewable sources, such as wind and solar.

Fox said the next step for the regional initiative is to extend the cap-and-trade program beyond power plants to other carbon emitters, such as the transportation sector, which accounts for about 37 percent of New Jersey's greenhouse gases. Power plants generate about 15 percent, she said.