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"This draft plan is the roadmap to move us quickly to a cleaner, more sustainable future, energy independence and a healthier environment," said Air Resources Board Chairman Mary Nichols.
Created as a framework to enforce California's climate change law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger two years ago, the sweeping plan is the most comprehensive blueprint for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the country. But it faces several regulatory hurdles, and officials didn't say how much the program would cost though they expect the savings from heightened efficiency and developing oil alternatives will outweigh the costs.
Rather than a carbon tax, the initial plan includes a cap-and-trade program that will cover about 85 percent of the state's emissions. The program, which would allow polluters to buy emissions credits from companies that produce fewer emissions, will eventually become part of the regional carbon market, the Western Climate Initiative.
The credits will be given to utilities and refiners rather that auctioned off, and the number of credit allowances would decline over time. Bloomberg reported.
A third of the electricity produced in the state must come from renewable sources by 2020, and the plan calls for additional support for energy efficiency programs and building and appliance standards. The governor's Million Solar Roofs initiative must be fully deployed under the proposal, as well as water-related energy efficiency initiatives.
The plan calls for more walkable communities where citizens didn't have to drive as far, as well as high-speed rail. Californians also will drive more efficient cars under full implementation of the California Clean Car law, which is still at the center of a legal fight with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which denied the state's right to regulate tailpipe emissions. The plan also includes measures for high-speed rail.
The Air Resources Board will now take public comments on the draft plan and prepare a final version for consideration in November. The measures will be vetted with public input while moving through the regulatory process, which is expected to take two years.
