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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (9761)	2/24/2007 11:22:51 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36921

California Senate Democrats Unveil “California First” Global Warming Bill Package By Frank D. Russo Saying that “Senate Democrats believe there is a simple, direct, cost-effective path we can take now to reduce greenhouse gases,” Senate President pro Tem Don Perata announced yesterday the introduction of a sweeping eight-bill package that aims to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California in the most practical ways. Perata complained that: "The implementation of Assembly Bill 32 is getting bogged down in arcane discussions over intercontinental trading schemes, 'carbon markets' and free 'credits'. That may work for Wall Street traders and Enron economists, but it doesn't work for Californians." Democrats are clearly not content with the pace of the Schwarzenegger Administration's actions and alarmed at the news since last August of a massive and rapidly worsening global warming problem. Among the proposals: • That 50 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in California are certified to run on clean alternative fuels by 2020 • Reducing the carbon content from transportation fuels refined and sold in California by • More rapidly upping bio-diesel fuel targets • More transportation planning and infill development to reduce consumption of fuel. Perata, a force in his own right, made the announcement with key Senators who are authoring bills in the package, including Christine Kehoe, Chair of the Senate Energy Committee; Joe Simitian, Chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee; Darrell Steinberg, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee; and Senator Alan Lowenthal, Chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Resources and also Chair of the Transportation and Housing Committee. Senator Kehoe said: “Last year's AB 32 made everyone aware of the need to aggressively reduce California's contributions to environmental damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions. With the transportation sector currently accounting for 41 percent of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, it is essential that we adopt a comprehensive package to both reduce these transportation related emissions while at the same time promoting the broader use of clean-burning alternative fuels. My bills are intended to accomplish both goals.” Senator Simitian, agreed with the others and said: “California can and should act sooner rather than later to increase the use of renewable energy. Renewable energy provides an immediate response to the threat of global warming, cuts air pollution, reduces our dependence on foreign energy, and helps to limit the threat of another energy crisis. We need to set ourselves a clear target with a real deadline, and then make it as easy as possibly to bring renewable energy online.” Senator Steinberg commented: “The Governor and Legislature have come together to make reducing global warming one of our highest priorities. We must now equip our state and regional transportation planners with the ability to measure California’s progress in reducing carbon emissions and give incentives to development that encourages reduction of greenhouse gasses.” Senator Lowenthal noted the connection with recently passed bonds and said: “The voters of California have done their part by voting for Prop 1B and providing over $1 billion for air quality improvements related to goods movement. In order to move goods quickly and efficiently, it is imperative that those businesses that benefit from this public money also contribute to finding solutions to our air quality woes.” Bill List: SB 660 by Senator Don Perata-–Establishes the California Office of Climate Change Research and Assessment in the Resources Agency both to centralize all efforts assessing the effects of climate change and to set research priorities for climate-related activities. • Establishes the “California Strategic Research Coordinating Council” consisting six members and two legislative appointments, one from each house, who would serve ex officio. The members would be the chairs of the state Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, and Air Resources Board, the Director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the research directors of the California Energy Commission and Air Resources Board. • Directs the council to prepare, adopt, and publish an annual “Climate Change Strategic Investment Plan” that prioritizes state research funding for projects that assess critical impacts of climate change and help bring new, clean technologies to market in the state. • Requires the plan to include assessments that review the potential impacts of climate change on air, water, coastal, and wildlife resources and recommends strategies to mitigate those impacts. • Requires that state energy and environmental research funds be targeted to those activities and technologies that help assess the impacts of climate change and promote investments, such as new energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, fuel cells, and other technologies that assist the state in meeting its climate and clean air targets. SB 210 by Senator Christine Kehoe - Establishes a low-carbon fuel standard. Requires the California State Air Resources Board to develop and administer a program to reduce the carbon content from transportation fuels refined and sold in California by 10 percent by 2020. The program would be applicable to all refiners, blenders, producers and importers of transportation fuels in the state. • Assigns the Public Utilities Commission to examine and address how utilities may contribute to reduction in greenhouse gas emission in the transportation sector by January 1, 2009. • Requires the California Energy Commission to update and revise its reporting on alternative fuels by June 30, 2009. SB 494 by Senator Kehoe-–Clean Alternative Vehicles Ensures that 50 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in California are certified to run on clean alternative fuels by 2020. Requires any regulations to be economically and technically feasible. Sets environmental performance standards for alternative fuels. • Ensures that clean alternative fuels are made available when the Air Resources Board determines that a sufficient number of vehicles certified to run on those fuels has been reached. SB 140 by Senator Kehoe--Requires the California Air Resources Board to conduct an assessment of bio-diesel fuel to ensure it maintains or improves environmental quality. If the assessment concludes the use of renewable diesel is beneficial, the board will modify the definition of diesel to include 2 percent renewable diesel. Two years later it will increase to 5 percent. • Grants the California Energy Commission and Air Resources Board the power to suspend the renewable diesel fuel requirement if certain performance, supply or environmental problems arise. SB 411 by Senator Joe Simitian--Eliminates the cap in current law on the amount of renewable energy resources state energy agencies can order utilities to buy. Authorizes state energy agencies to order utilities to buy or build more renewable energy up to one-third of their overall energy need in order to ensure the state meets its greenhouse gas emission goals. SB 375 by Senator Darrell Steinberg--Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Transportation Sources. Requires the California Transportation Commission, in cooperation with the Air Resources Board, air districts, and regional transportation agencies, to adopt and certify modeling guidelines for use in showing reductions in vehicle miles traveled and climate change emissions. • Requires state transportation planning agencies to revise their planning guidelines to show progress in meeting state climate change targets as articulated in law and in the Climate Action Team Report. • Require regional transportation agencies to update regional transportation plans to show progress in meeting state climate change targets as articulated in law and in the Climate Action Team Report • Expands current infill development regulatory incentives under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to include those infill projects that also reduce vehicle trips by 10 percent through more pedestrian-friendly and higher-density development. SB 9 and SB 19 by Senator Alan Lowenthal--Both bills implement measures to reduce diesel, black carbon, and other pollutants emissions from ports, diesel trucks, heavy construction equipment, and other sources. The bills use Proposition 1B funds to help fund these reductions. californiaprogressreport.com