California environmental regulators recently released a near-final version of California's plan to reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, which will go before the California Air Resources Board for approval at its December meetings.
The Proposed Scoping Plan (PDF) keeps the structure of the state's draft released this summer but includes additional key recommendations such as strategies to enhance and expand the state's cost-saving energy efficiency programs; implementation of California’s clean cars standards; increases in the amount of clean and renewable energy used to power the state; and, implementation of a low carbon fuel standard.
But Mercury News reported that some environmentalists were disappointed with the proposed plan, noting that regulators have yet to devise any structure for their proposed cap and trade program. Critics also worry that regulators are relying too much on carbon offsets, which may send the wrong message to polluters about the need to change.
