BILL NUMBER:  SB 1762
  VETOED	DATE: 09/30/2008




To the Members of the California State Senate:

I am returning Senate Bill 1762 without my signature.

This bill would establish the California Climate Change Institute
within the University of California (UC) to perform climate change
research and develop educational and green workforce development
strategies.  Funding for the institute comes from a redirection of
public interest energy research (PIER) funds and authorization of a
new surcharge on electric service provided by investor- and
publicly-owned utilities.

Unfortunately, this bill is too limiting and is too premature to be
signed this year.

First, the bill places the institute entirely within the UC system.
Doing so does not recognize the role that the other segments of
California's higher education system can provide, not only for
climate change research, but for the development and deployment of
new technologies that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and
keep California at the forefront of these emerging technologies.

Additionally, this bill is premature because the Air Resources Board
(ARB) is still developing the Scoping Plan required by the Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006.  This plan should be in place prior to
re-organizing the way climate change research in the state is
conducted.

Finally, the bill prohibits ratepayer-funded climate change research
in other state agencies.  This is ill-advised as it may deprive the
state from being able to receive federal funding for projects that
must be administered by particular state agencies.  It would be a
disservice to Californians if the state could not fully participate
in federal funding paid for by their tax dollars.

For these reasons, I am returning this bill without my signature.

Sincerely,



Arnold Schwarzenegger