Currents

An Energy Newsletter for Local Governments

Additional CEQA & Climate Change Workshops

AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, requires that Californians reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, 25% below business as usual. In order to effectively implement the cap, AB 32 directs the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to establish statewide targets, develop regulations and track our progress in meeting them.

The largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the transportation sector, mostly cars and light trucks. While a change in vehicle fuels and increased auto efficiency will get us part of the way to the state's emission reduction goals, they are not enough. Land use patterns must be modified to give people transportation options other than the car.

The California Attorney General's office has been a driving force in challenging local governments to consider the climate effects of land use changes. In April of 2007, the Attorney General sued San Bernardino County for failing to consider greenhouse gas emissions in the general plan EIR. He also threatened to file lawsuits against ConocoPhillips over a refinery expansion plan in Contra Costa County, the Port of Los Angeles over port expansion, and Great Valley Energy over a proposed ethanol plant near Hanford. Settlements were reached in all cases that required each party to include greenhouse gas mitigation strategies to mitigate project impacts.

California cities and counties have responded quickly to the Attorney General's action. Last year, at least 148 land development filings under CEQA cited greenhouse gas emissions as a key issue, compared with just two known cases a year earlier. This year, the number of EIRs mentioning greenhouse gases has already jumped to 224. Through a sum of their individual decisions, California local governments are making a significant contribution toward moving the State away from "business as usual" and toward a low-carbon future. Questions have arisen, however, about how to create a CEQA document that will survive litigation.

The Office of the Attorney General and the Local Government Commission have been holding regional workshops to both address these questions and inspire local governments to take further voluntary actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In total the first series of five workshops attracted over 900 participants. Due to the success of the first series we've decided to host a second series of three workshops.

• August 7th - Santa Barbara
• August 28th - Riverside
• September 11th - Encinitas

Additional information

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