Senate bill suggests ARB recommend post-2020 timetable by start of 2016

February 20, 2014 by CaliforniaCarbon.info

CaliforniaCarbon.info, February 20, 2014: Two Democratic senators in California yesterday released a new bill that could potential make the Air Resources Board (ARB), regulators of the state’s cap and trade program, chart its post-2020 emission reductions plan sooner than it has indicated it would.

Fran Pavley, who authored the original bill back in 2006 that gave the ARB the authority to set 2020 and 2050 goals, has teamed up with Ricardo Lara, whose concern for air quality in the state’s most disadvantaged regions has in the past been made known, to present a bill in the Senate which calls on ARB to recommend a post-2020 emission reduction schedule before January 1, 2016.

The ARB released the Update to its Scoping Plan for post-2020 emission reductions early last week, in which it set a target of 2017 for the setting of midterm targets en route to the eventual 2050 goal of 80% reductions upon 1990 GHG emission levels.

It is unclear what the ramifications of this Senate Bill are for the ARB if it were passed. CaliforniaCarbon.info has contacted several regulatory experts, including ARB representatives, to clarify whether the bill would require them to vote upon a post-2020 schedule by the stipulated date, or merely circulate a draft post-2020 schedule for stakeholder comment.

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