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Traffic moves southbound on Highway 99 away from Highway 50 in 2022. <\/p>\n
Xavier Mascarenas<\/p>\n
Sacramento Bee file<\/p>\n
California\u2019s air regulators have extended the public comment period for proposed Cap-and-Invest updates after two state senators requested more time for legislative oversight.<\/p>\n
The California Air Resources Board released a deadline extension notice<\/a> Tuesday, saying the public comment period for Cap-and-Invest amendments will now close May 4. The notice followed a joint letter to CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez from Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, and Sen. Eloise G\u00f3mez Reyes, D-San Bernardino.<\/p>\n Blakespear serves as the chair of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, and Reyes chairs Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy.<\/p>\n The two senators requested the deadline extension and asked Sanchez to appear before their committees \u201cto provide timely oversight and feedback\u201d on the updated Cap-and-Invest proposal.<\/p>\n Blakespear and Reyes expressed their concerns over \u201climited amount of time to further discuss these proposed amendments given their dramatic impact on our environment,\u201d urging the air board chair to provide feedback \u201cwell in advance of the May meeting.\u201d CARB is scheduled to consider the approval of amendments on May 28.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decisions made regarding this program will have longstanding impacts through 2030,\u201d Blakespear and Reyes wrote in the letter. \u201cIt is critical that we get this right in order to address affordability concerns and ensure California continues to lead the way on public health and environmental integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n Blakespear and Reyes also asked the air board to extend the public comment deadline for the proposed amendments to the Market-Based Compliance Mechanism. CARB granted that request in the same notice.<\/p>\n Lawmakers push back<\/p>\n CARB\u2019s notice also came as dozens of lawmakers sent a separate joint letter<\/a> to Sanchez, urging the board to better align the proposed amendments with Cap-and-Invest\u2019s goals and the Legislature\u2019s intention for the program.<\/p>\n In the letter, 28 lawmakers pushed against a provision around 118 million metric tons of allowances \u2014 state-regulated greenhouse gas emissions permits that are either allocated to industries or sold in the state\u2019s carbon market.<\/p>\n CARB\u2019s first Cap-and-Invest proposal<\/a> in January was designed to permanently remove 118 million metric tons of allowances from the total pool. Environmental advocates called for a larger reduction in allowances, while the oil and gas industry pushed for a more relaxed approach, arguing that strict limits would drive refineries out of state.<\/p>\n The Strait of Hormuz closure<\/a> and resulting gas price shocks became additional talking points for both sides, though from diverging perspectives. Green groups said the conflict underscored the need to break the state\u2019s dependence on fossil fuels, while the oil and gas industry argued that driving refineries out of California could further make the state vulnerable to supply disruptions and price volatility.<\/p>\n The air board then came back<\/a> with an updated proposal earlier this month, revising its initial plan to remove 118 million metric tons of allowances by instead placing them in a reserve fund where businesses could potentially draw from it if the board approves their emission-reducing initiatives. The lawmakers criticized the current version of the program, saying it would provide \u201cat least $3.5 billion in subsidies\u201d that will extend the state\u2019s reliance on fossil fuels.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeeding progress towards the 2030 emissions target will allow us to accelerate investments to provide lasting relief for the pain at the pump families are struggling to shoulder,\u201d the letter from the group of lawmakers read.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead, this proposal entrusts the very oil industry that is profiteering from President Trump\u2019s war to somehow deliver savings to the California drivers they are holding over a barrel.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n
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