BILL NUMBER: AB 2050 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 23, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2014
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Quirk
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Ammiano and Williams )
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
An act to amend Section 38591 of, and to add and repeal Section
38561.5 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2050, as amended, Quirk. California Global Warming Solutions
Act of 2006: scoping plan: advisory committee.
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 establishes
the State Air Resources Board as the state agency responsible for
monitoring and regulating sources emitting greenhouse gases. The act
requires the state board to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas
emissions limit, as defined, to be achieved by 2020, equivalent to
the statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels in 1990. The act
requires the state board to prepare and approve a scoping plan for
achieving the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The act requires the scoping
plan to be updated at least once every 5 years.
This bill, until January 1, 2019, would require the state board to
include specified elements when updating the scoping plan. The bill
would require the state board, on or before January 1, 2019, to
submit a report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature on
those specified elements of the updated scoping plan.
Existing law requires the state board to appoint an Economic and
Technology Advancement Advisory Committee to advise the state board
on activities that will facilitate investment in and implementation
of technological research and development opportunities, as
specified. Existing law also authorizes the committee to advise the
state board on economic and technological developments relating to
greenhouse gas emission reductions.
This bill would require the committee to consist of between 5 and
10 members who are experts in energy technology and economics. The
bill would delete the authorization for the committee to advise the
state board on developments relating to greenhouse gas emission
reductions and would instead authorize the committee to conduct an
economic assessment that includes a marginal cost analysis of various
strategies for reducing greenhouse gases.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Climate change is a global emissions problem.
(b) California is responsible for approximately 1 percent of the
world's global greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, needs to address
the problem of climate change with a global perspective.
(c) A majority of greenhouse gas emissions will be coming from
developing countries over the next few decades. In order for
California to be a leader in fighting global climate change, the
state should be focusing on inventing and developing the technologies
necessary to replace fossil fuel as the primary fuel source in order
to allow the developing nations of the world to achieve low-carbon
economic growth.
(d) It is in the best interest of the state to ensure that the
goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are flexible and developed
with the intent to produce adaptable policies and programs that other
states and nations could reasonably adopt.
(e) Demonstrating effective climate change policy can increase the
likelihood that other states and nations will follow California's
lead, which is necessary for the state to have a significant effect
on the global climate change problem.
SEC. 2. Section 38561.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
38561.5. (a) On or before January 1, 2019, for purposes of the
update of the scoping plan pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section
38561, the state board shall include, but not be limited to, all of
the following:
(1) A proposal for further reducing greenhouse gas emissions by
2050, including intermediate goals.
(2) An evaluation of the emissions-reduction goals proposed
pursuant to paragraph (1) based on what technologies can be scaled to
the rest of the country and the world that ensure cost-effectiveness
and maintain local and systemwide reliability.
(3) The establishment of consistent metrics to accurately quantify
greenhouse gas emissions from technologies that are designed to
reduce greenhouse gases and retrofits to existing technologies that
increase overall efficiency for the purposes of reducing their carbon
footprint.
(b) (1) On or before January 1, 2019, the state board shall submit
to the appropriate committees of the Legislature the elements of the
update of the scoping plan included pursuant to subdivision (a).
(2) A report to be submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends
that date.
SEC. 3. Section 38591 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to
read:
38591. (a) The state board, by July 1, 2007, shall convene an
environmental justice advisory committee, of at least three members,
to advise it in developing the scoping plan pursuant to Section 38561
and any other pertinent matter in implementing this division. The
advisory committee shall be comprised of representatives from
communities in the state with the most significant exposure to air
pollution, including, but not limited to, communities with minority
populations or low-income populations, or both.
(b) The state board shall appoint the advisory committee members
from nominations received from environmental justice organizations
and community groups.
(c) The state board shall provide reasonable per diem for
attendance at advisory committee meetings by advisory committee
members from nonprofit organizations.
(d) (1) The state board shall appoint an Economic and Technology
Advancement Advisory Committee, of at least five members but not to
exceed 10 members, to advise the state board on activities that will
facilitate investment in and implementation of technological research
and development opportunities, including, but not limited to,
identifying new technologies, research, demonstration projects,
funding opportunities, developing state, national, and international
partnerships and technology transfer opportunities, and identifying
and assessing research and advanced technology investment and
incentive opportunities that will assist in the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions on a global basis.
(2) The committee may also conduct an economic assessment that
includes, but is not limited to, a marginal cost analysis of the
various strategies for reducing greenhouse gases.
(3) The membership of the committee shall consist of experts in
energy technology and economics.