Amended in Assembly May 23, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 21, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 26, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2050

Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano and Williams)

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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 begin insert the end insert
various strategies for reducing greenhouse gases.

(3) The membership of the committee shall consist of experts
in energy technology and economics.