California ARB Releases Report on First Steps Toward Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

21 April 2007

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a draft report on proposed early actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in California, consistent with the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed on September 27, 2006.

The Act mandates that California’s greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, a 25% cut in emissions compared to business as usual (BAU).  The Air Resources Board must adopt a comprehensive blueprint for achieving that goal by the end of 2008 and complete the necessary rulemaking to implement that plan by the end of 2011.

In the meantime, the Act requires “discrete early action measures” to ensure steady progress in mitigating climate change.  As narrowly defined in the law, the discrete early actions must be regulations, adopted and enforceable no later than January 1, 2010.  In addition, there are other near-term actions underway at ARB that will contribute to the state’s ultimate goal.

The early action report identifies three specific greenhouse gas control rules to be adopted and enforced before January 1, 2010, along with 36 other climate protecting measures the Board is initiating between now and 2011.  The report divides early actions into three categories:

• Group 1: GHG rules for immediate adoption and implementation. Group 1 includes the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS); reduction of HFC-134a emissions from non-professional servicing of motor vehicle air conditioning systems (MVACs) and improved landfill methane capture.

• Group 2: Additional GHG measures underway between 2007-2009. These include a variety of measures across multiple sectors. For transportation, possible controls include stronger light-duty vehicle standards; heavy-duty vehicle emission reductions and efficiency improvements; port electrification; standby electric transportation refrigeration; truck stop electrification with incentives for truckers; tire inflation program; requiring low GWP refrigerants for new MVACs; and adding AC leak tightness test and repair to smog check.

• Group 3: Air pollution controls with potential climate co-benefits.

Existing ARB regulations are expected to yield significant GHG reductions between now and 2020, including the greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles (per AB 1493, Pavley) that is currently being challenged in court by automakers.

ARB’s request for a federal waiver to implement these motor vehicle regulations is currently pending before the US Environmental Protection Agency, which is, however, moving forward on it following the recent Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. (Earlier post.)

Should the federal waiver be denied or should ARB lose the lawsuit brought against it by the automakers, the statute requires that ARB adopt alternative regulations to control mobile sources of greenhouse gas emissions to achieve greater or equivalent reductions.

ARB is holding a public workshop to discuss the draft report in Sacramento on April 23.  After gathering public comments, a final staff report will be develped for presentation to ARB’s Governing Board at its June 20-21, 2007 hearing.

Resources:

• Proposed Early Actions to Mitigate Climate Change in California