Senate Bill No. 544

Introduced by Senator Lara

February 26, 2015

An act to amend Section 38561 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to greenhouse gases.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 544, as introduced, Lara. California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: scoping plan.

The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 designates the State Air Resources Board as the state agency charged with monitoring and regulating sources of emissions of greenhouse gases. The state board is required to adopt a statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit equivalent to the statewide greenhouse gas emissions level in 1990 to be achieved by 2020. 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.

This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 38561 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:

38561.  

(a)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert On or before January 1, 2009, the state board
shall prepare and approve a scoping plan, as that term is understood
by the state board, for achieving the maximum technologically
feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
from sources or categories of sources of greenhouse gases by 2020
under this division. begin delete The end delete

begin insert (2) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The end insert state board shall consult with all state agencies with
jurisdiction over sources of greenhouse gases, including the Public
Utilities Commission and the State Energy Resources Conservation
and Development Commission, on all elements of its plan that
pertain to begin delete energy related end delete begin insert energy-related end insert matters including, but not
limited to, electrical generation, load based-standards or
requirements, the provision of reliable and affordable electrical
service, petroleum refining, and statewide fuel supplies to ensure
the greenhouse gas emissions reduction activities to be adopted
and implemented by the state board are complementary,
nonduplicative, and can be implemented in an efficient and
cost-effective manner.

(b) The plan shall identify and make recommendations on direct
begin delete emission end delete begin insert emissions end insert reduction measures, alternative compliance
mechanisms, market-based compliance mechanisms, and potential
monetary and nonmonetary incentives for sources and categories
of sources that the state board finds are necessary or desirable to
facilitate the achievement of the maximum feasible and
cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

(c) In making the determinations required by subdivision (b),
the state board shall consider all relevant information pertaining
to greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs in other states,
localities, and nations, including the northeastern states of the
United States, Canada, and the European Union.

(d) The state board shall evaluate the total potential costs and
total potential economic and noneconomic benefits of the plan for
reducing greenhouse gases to California’s economy, environment,
and public health, using the best available economic models,
emission estimation techniques, and other scientific methods.

(e) In developing its plan, the state board shall take into account
the relative contribution of each source or source category to
statewide greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for adverse
effects on small businesses, and shall recommend a de minimis
threshold of greenhouse gas emissions below which begin delete emission end delete
begin insert emissions end insert reduction requirements will not apply.

(f) In developing its plan, the state board shall identify
opportunities for begin delete emission reductions end delete begin insert emissions reduction end insert measures
from all verifiable and enforceable voluntary actions, including,
but not limited to, carbon sequestration projects and best
management practices.

(g) The state board shall conduct a series of public workshops
to give interested parties an opportunity to comment on the plan.
The state board shall conduct a portion of these workshops in
regions of the state that have the most significant exposure to air
pollutants, including, but not limited to, communities with minority
populations, communities with low-income populations, or both.

(h) The state board shall update its plan for achieving the
maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions
of greenhouse gas emissions at least once every five years.