Mass. to tighten car emissions rule

Massachusetts and 10 other Eastern states plan to implement a low-carbon fuel standard designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, said Ian Bowles, secretary of the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The states include Pennsylvania and the 10 members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which covers an area stretching from Maine to Maryland. Its goal is to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants through a cap-and-trade program.

Bowles said the states came together to craft a low-carbon-fuel standard with prompting from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, but they still need to hash out details. The effort could involve incentives and mandates to promote the use of environmentally friendly fuels, similar to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative's program.

Sue Reid of the Conservation Law Foundation said she and her peers have been pushing for a low-carbon-fuel standard. Transportation accounts for about 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts, she said.