By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed an executive order to have the state rejoin a regional environmental pact.

The order signed Monday by the Democratic governor will require that New Jersey be put back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Murphy's predecessor, Republican Chris Christie, announced in 2011 that the state would leave the initiative, saying the pact didn't effectively reduce greenhouse emissions and amounted to a tax on utility customers.

The RGGI is a cap-and-trade program of nine New England and mid-Atlantic states whose aim is to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

Murphy said Christie's decision to withdraw from the compact has forced New Jersey to fall behind on the critical goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of global climate change.

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