California Releases Preliminary Rules for Cap-and-Trade Program
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a preliminary draft version of California's GHG cap-and-trade system on November 24. As proposed, the cap-and-trade regulations take effect in 2012 and apply to 605 of the state's largest stationary GHG emitters, including industries and power plants, along with electricity imports.
Starting in 2015, the regulations also apply to fuel suppliers, to address emissions from vehicles and from smaller stationary GHG emitters, such as homes and commercial businesses.
The regulations set a cap on GHG emissions that declines each year through 2020, to help reduce the state's GHG emissions to 1990 levels - a decline of about 15% from today's emission levels.
The cap-and-trade program is just one part of achieving this goal; other measures include building and appliance efficiency standards, strong energy efficiency programs, a statewide renewable energy requirement, clean car standards, a low-carbon fuel standard, and targeted usage fees. The goal was set by the state's Global Warming Solutions Act, which was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006.
When fully in place, the program would cover 85% of California's GHG emissions. For flexibility, the trading program is intended to be linked to the Western Climate Initiative, which includes a large portion of Canada and the western US. See the ARB press release, the draft cap-and-trade regulation (PDF 803 KB), and for background, the scoping plan for achieving the state's GHG goal (PDF 3.5 MB).
CARB also announced in mid-November that more than 97% of the state's 605 largest GHG-emitting facilities are complying with its mandatory reporting requirements for GHG emissions. To date, 591 facilities have completed 2008 GHG emissions reports. CARB is working with the remaining facilities to meet their reporting requirements.
Additionally, CARB noted that California is the first state to accredit third-party professionals to verify reported GHG emissions. The first graduates to receive accreditation include 101 individual verifiers and 17 businesses. CARB's goal is to accredit 200 by year's end. Verifiers can contract to review and substantiate emissions reports filed by the largest sources of GHG emissions in the state. Verification of all reported emissions will be required starting in 2010. CARB adopted a mandatory reporting regulation for the state's largest stationary facilities in late 2007, in preparation for the coming cap-and-trade regulations. See the ARB press release and the GHG reporting Web page.
DOE Launches Public Web Site for Energy Technology Information
DOE unveiled Open Energy Information, an open-source Web platform that will make DOE resources and energy data widely available to the public. The data and tools housed on the free, editable, and evolving wiki platform will help deploy clean energy technologies across the country and around the world.
The site currently houses over 60 clean energy resources and data sets, including maps of worldwide solar and wind potential, information on climate zones, and best practices. OpenEI.org also links to the Virtual Information Bridge to Energy (VIBE), which serves up Web gadgets that display energy data. See the DOE press release, the OpenEI.org Web site, and the VIBE Web site.
The Open Energy Information Web site is part of a broader effort at DOE, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and across the Obama Administration to promote the openness, transparency, and accessibility of the federal government. DOE is also contributing various tools and data sets for the National Assets program, being undertaken by a group of six departments and agencies across the federal government. The program will increase access to information on publicly funded technologies that are available for license, opportunities for federal funding and partnerships, and potential private-sector partners. See the
National Assets program on the federal
Data.gov Web site.
