California Job Lancaster

California Job Lancaster

California Job Lancaster

Posted on: January 10, 2012 - 4:33 pm
by Admin

Energy policy in the U.S. has become fraught with politics this election season. When a comprehensive energy bill failed in Congress this past summer, attention shifted to California.

A vastly expanded market for renewable energy in California, one of the world's largest economies, as well as a new carbon market is developing as a result of California Assembly Bill 32, commonly referred to as AB32. However, this law faces opposition in the form of Proposition 23, or Prop 23, on the ballot November 2, 2010. Prop 23 advocates refer to it as the “California Jobs Initiative” while opponents of Prop 23 call it the “Dirty Energy Proposition.”

Both supporters and opponents of AB32 in California have developed extensive campaigns to inform voters about their take on the issues. However, both sides have in common a focus on the effect AB32 will have on jobs in California alone.

AB32 Creates a Regional Market

Little of the debate has focused on the effects of AB32 outside the state of California. By establishing one of the country’s first compliance markets for carbon which will allow forestry “offsets,” AB32 would be creating a new means for small nonindustrial forest landowners to gain compensation for good stewardship across the country. (Update Regarding the Proposed Offset Component of the California Cap-and-Trade Program, July 29, 2010. arb.ca.gov Accessed October 27, 2010).

The same holds true for livestock operators. The Climate Action Reserve is the third-party offset program adopted by California under AB32. A September 29, 2010 Climate Action Reserve press release makes the point that “livestock manure management provides a key opportunity to reduce significant methane emissions, while at the same time generating revenue for the livestock operator.” (“New guidelines broaden opportunities for livestock operations to gain financial benefits from reducing their GHG emissions." climateactionreserve.org Accessed October 27, 2010.)

California Generates Regional Demand

Additionally, the size of California’s economy means that its demand for green energy will quickly spread beyond its borders, as its fossil fuel demands do now. California recently upped its Renewable Portfolio Standard to 33% by 2020.