Governor Brown recently released the Administration’s proposed
$1.25 billion Cap and Trade Expenditure Plan consisting of funds
generated through California’s cap and trade auction system.
There are several programs receiving funds through this year’s
expenditure plan that will be of interest to counties. These
programs include the Transformative Climate Communities Program
which received an allocation of $25 million, healthy forest and
local fire response programs which received a total of $185
million, and the short-lived climate pollution organic waste
diversion funding.
The cap and trade program was significantly strengthened last
year when the Legislature passed AB 398 (E. Garcia), which
extended cap and trade to 2031 by a two-thirds bipartisan vote.
This year’s annually appropriated allocation plan also includes
funding for improvements in low carbon transportation,
short-lived climate pollutant reduction (such as methane from
landfills), and funds for climate-smart agriculture programs,
healthy forest and tree-related programs and climate change
research. It also includes funding to implement AB 617, a new
local air pollution control program.
CSAC is concerned with the $20 million allocation for organic
waste diversion; only half of what was allocated to these
programs last year. This allocation is disheartening, given the
major changes to local government waste management mandated by SB
1383 and the ensuing rulemaking at Cal Recycle to implement the
major overhaul to organics management in California. In addition,
CSAC will continue to advocate for our funding priorities, which
include funding to help mitigate the tree mortality crisis,
additional funding to local governments for local greenhouse gas
(GHG) reduction programs, and additional waste management funds.
