A July 2015 report from the Acadia Center states that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)  has allowed the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States to achieve significant reductions in CO2 emissions while providing economic benefits through the reinvestment of the proceeds from the auctions of carbon allowances.   Since 2009, when RGGI began, the emissions in RGGI states dropped by 35% , compared to 12% in non-RGGI states. At the same time, the rate of economic growth in RGGI states was 21.2%,   compared to 18.2% in non-RGGI states. Read RGGI: A Model Program for the Power Sector -2015 Update .