February 22, 2007

Global warming fight heating up

After last year's love-in, there's a real confrontation brewing between the Legislature, or at least the Senate, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California. Schwarzenegger believes a combination of direct regulation of emission sources and a market-oriented approach that would let industries buy credits from others who are reducing their emissions will work. Senate Democrats are highly skeptical of that approach, if not downright hostile to it. They have insisted that Schwarzenegger is acting outside his authority in trying to move forward with his dual-track effort rather than relying on regulation first. Now they've introduced a package of bills that would force his hand. Of course, he could always veto any of them that he does not like. So legally speaking, he's in the driver's seat. But politically, if he intends to go on promoting himself as the leader on this issue, he's going to have to explain why these bills aren't necessary and how his approach is superior.

One of the bills would require the state to lower the CO2 content of gasoline by 10 percent by 2020, rather than making this a goal, as Schwarzenegger has done. Another would require that half the new vehicles sold in California by 2020 be certified to run on alternative fuels. A third measure would authorize the state to order utilities to produce up to one-third of their electricity from renewable energy. And so on.

Here is a link to the Senate press release with summaries of the bills.

UPDATE: Administration officials point out that the 10 percent reduction in CO2 Schwarzenegger is seeking would also be mandatory once adopted, even if it was not in statute. He has directed the energy commission to develop a low carbon fuel standard, and the Air Board to consider it as part of its early-actions mandate under AB 32.

Posted by dweintraub on February 22, 2007 11:31 AM