Jerry Brown for his signature.
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The California Air Resources Board, which regulates the program, said unsold allowances are an indication that the reductions are occurring beyond the program’s annual targets.
His reversal exemplifies how Democratic leaders got the new emissions goals passed the Assembly, probably the largest obstacle to passage, just a couple of weeks after the measure stalled.
Both the climate change and oversight bills face one more vote in the Legislature, before they move to Governor Brown, who says he will sign them. Two Democrats opposed the bill, with five abstaining, while just one Republican voted in favor.
But it will likely take until at least next year to cement the legal authority for the policy that serves as the backstop for ensuring emissions reductions, as well as the backstop for compliance with U.S. EPA’s Clean Power Plan for existing power plants’ carbon emissions. A recent account in the Los Angeles Times saw some complaining that state rebates meant to encourage the purchase of electric cars went nearly entirely to the wealthy and that proceeds from cap-and-trade auctions of pollution rights rarely went directly to help poor communities. “Today, the Assembly Speaker, most Democrats and one courageous Republican passed S.B”.
The Western States Petroleum Association, which represents some two dozen oil companies, including BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and ConocoPhillips Co., blasted yesterday’s vote.
The nation’s single largest political donor in 2014, billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer looked on from the side of the chamber as the Assembly considered SB32 Tuesday. He promises more fights and victories, and says to critics: “Bring it on”.
The oil industry has lobbied hard against the legislation, which faced uncertainty since stalling in the assembly last summer. “32 conveniently dodges. In fact, it goes in the opposite direction by promoting a command-and-control system that is contrary to a market-based mechanism like cap and trade and would further undermine the market”.
“My intention by no means is to tamper with the cap-and-trade program”, Garcia said. They are auctioned quarterly and used to routinely generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the state.
“Our climate change efforts are proof California can be progressive and prosperous at the same time”, said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said on Twitter after the vote.
“The policies that have been put in place have not been equally distributed, and I believe that’s part of why we have the companion bill”, Dahle said. That program has failed to live up to Brown administration projections, with only 34 percent of available credits sold at auction this month.
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Eduardo Garcia stated unequivocally that the technical language in question – which instructs the air board to “prioritize” direct emissions reductions that would benefit the communities affected by big polluters – would have no impact on the cap-and-trade program.
