Washington (Platts)--18Jul2008

The 10 members of the Western Climate Initiative on Friday said the
Canadian province of Ontario will join the organization formed in February
2007 to develop a regional plan to address climate change.

WCI said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty submitted a formal membership
request on Thursday. The province has been participating in the effort as an
observer since August.

With the addition of Ontario, the WCI said its membership now represents
about 73% of Canada's economy and 20% of the US economy, making it the largest
cap-and-trade program in North America.

To join the WCI, each member must adopt a cap on greenhouse gas
emissions. WCI said Ontario has committed to cut its GHG emissions 6% below
1990 levels by 2014 and 15% below 1990 levels by 2020.

The founding members of WCI are Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon
and Washington. Since the organization was created, the states of Utah and
Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and
Quebec have joined.

Observers are the states of Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada and
Wyoming, the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and the Mexican border states
of Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas.