Senate Select Committee Hearing on Climate Change

With temperatures just below 70s degrees in Southern California earlier this week, focus turned once again towards climate change.  Educators, scientists and advocates, including CSAC gathered at the University of California, Los Angeles for a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on AB 32 implementation. The Committee, chaired by Senator Fran Pavley, was established to focus on climate impacts in California and the implementation of California’s landmark climate legislation, AB 32.  Senator Pavley was joined by her colleagues Senators Kevin de León, Lou Correa, Mark DeSaulnier, Ted Lieu and Assembly Member Richard Bloom. The hearing featured three panels focused on the state of our climate, AB 32 implementation and opportunities for investment. CSAC’s Cara Martinson spoke on third panel discussing opportunities to Cap and Trade funds in our local communities. 

The hearing comes as Governor Brown and his Administration are working to put together next year’s budget, which is expected to include some detail as to how the State anticipates spending revenues derived from the State’s Cap and Trade Program.  After five official auctions, the Cap and Trade program has generated roughly $530 million in funding that is eligible to be invested back into projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Law requires these proceeds be invested – specifically and narrowly – into projects that further the goals of AB 32. CSAC has been working for the last several years with a number of local government stakeholders to direct Cap and Trade funds to the local level for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction projects. These efforts were temporarily stalled last year with the Governor’s loan of Cap and Trade revenues to the State’s General Fund. However, it is anticipated that the Governor will include an expenditure plan in his 2014 January budget.  

Currently, 70% of jurisdictions in California have completed or are in the process of adopting policies to deal with climate change. CSAC contends that the State would benefit in investing in local governments that are already demonstrating at the local level to reduce GHG emissions in their communities. Cities and Counties are already engaged in many of the same types of GHG reduction activities outlined in the State’s Cap and Trade investment plan and local governments are best able to identify and implement projects that reflect local needs, leverage other funding sources and achieve the greatest GHG emissions. 

State Water Resources Control Board – Groundwater Management Plan

In October, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) released its discussion draft of their Groundwater Workplan concept paper. According to SWRCB, the goal behind developing a Workplan is to align current groundwater protection efforts, with the ongoing actions of other entities with groundwater management responsibilities and potential actions that the Water Boards and others could pursue. In mid-November, CSAC and RCRC held a forum with Water Board Management to discuss the Workplan and how we can work together on this important issue. The meeting was well attended and Water Board staff was open to dialogue and comments made by county staff and Supervisors. The Workplan comment deadline has been extended to December 18, 2013, but is still slated to still go before the Water at their second meeting in January. A copy of the draft is available on the Water Board’s website. CSAC is in the process of drafting comments on the Workplan. Once finalized, they will be available on the CSAC website.