BOARD MEETING DATE: March 7, 2008
AGENDA NO. 32
REPORT:
California Air Resources Board Monthly Meeting
SYNOPSIS:
The California Air Resources Board met on February 28, 2008. The following is a summary of this meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
Receive and File.
Ronald O. Loveridge, Member
SCAQMD Governing Board
The Air Resources Board’s (ARB or Board) February meeting was held in Sacramento. Key meeting items are summarized below.
1. Ozone Early Progress Plans for Coachella Valley, Antelope Valley and Western Mojave Desert, Ventura County, Imperial County and Eastern Kern County
The Board adopted Ozone Early Progress Plans for a number of 8-hour nonattainment areas in Southern California. These plans will allow transportation conformity emissions budgets to be established pending the completion of reasonable further progress (RFP) plans.
2. Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) Implementation Update
ARB staff provided an update on the implementation of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. The update focused on the mobile source emission contributions to California’s greenhouse gas emission inventory, reductions expected from existing regulations, and a comparison of the AB 32 program reductions to those expected from recently enacted changes to federal corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. ARB staff’s analysis indicated that current regulations will not be sufficient to achieve the goals set out in Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order S-3-05, and additional reductions may have to come from other approaches such as reductions in vehicle miles-traveled.
ARB staff’s analysis indicates that California’s motor vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) rules will provide approximately 118% and 69% more GHG reduction benefits in 2016 and 2020, respectively, in California than will be provided by the new CAFE standards. By 2020, the rules adopted in response to AB 1493 – the Pavley bill – will result in a California fleet average fuel economy of approximately 43 miles per gallon (MPG), compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg. If U.S. EPA had approved ARB’s waiver request for California’s motor vehicle GHG rules, these benefits would have extended to the 12 other states that have opted in to the California program to date.
3. Policy Statement on Voluntary Early Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Board adopted a policy statement on voluntary early actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to provide guidance to stakeholders that reduce GHG emissions before the adoption of GHG regulations. The GHG reduction Scoping Plan the Board will consider in December 2008 will include a regulation for quantifying and recognizing early action reductions. The Board’s policy statement directs ARB staff to encourage and reward early reductions in the development of these regulations, and to ensure that companies beginning work now are not penalized under future regulations. ARB staff noted that the South Coast AQMD has announced a District program to encourage voluntary early actions, and committed to work with the District to harmonize the programs as much as possible.
4. Report of the Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee
The Board received the final report of the AB 32 Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee that summarized the Committee’s activities, findings, and recommendations with respect to policies and technologies needed to reduce GHG emissions in California. Recommendations were made in the arenas of finance, transportation, energy use, electrical generation, agriculture, forestry, water, and credit markets.
5. Adoption of Proposition 1B Guidelines for Implementation of the Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program
The Board adopted guidelines for implementing a $1 billion incentive program to reduce diesel emissions and health impacts from freight movement along California’s four major trade corridors, which was authorized by the voters’ approval of Proposition 1B, the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. The distribution of funding among the four corridors was the primary point discussion among the witnesses who testified on this item. Other testimony addressed liquefied natural gas-powered equipment and stored energy projects.
The Board approved the allocation of funds recommended by staff, as follows:
- $550 million – Los Angeles/Inland Empire trade corridor (55%)
- $250 million – Central Valley trade corridor (25%)
- $140 million – Bay Area trade corridor (14%)
- $60 million – San Diego/Border trade corridor (6%)
CARB February 28, 2008 Meeting Agenda