California Assembly Bill AB2050 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2050AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 10, 2014 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   require 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   Significant technological advances and major policy initiatives that ca   n be deployed at scale in developed and developing counties will be  necessary to  replace   transition away from  fossil fuel as the primary fuel source  in order  to allow the  developed and  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   greenhouse gas reduction goals are achievable by strategies  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  policies and  technologies can be scaled to the rest of the country and the world that ensure cost-effectiveness and maintain local and systemwide reliability of the electrical grid  . (3) The establishment of consistent metrics to accurately quantify  reductions in  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   and measure the cost-effectiveness of various policies and technologies  . (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  shall  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.