California voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 23, the ballot initiative that would have suspended the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) until the state’s unemployment level dropped below 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. AB 32 aims to return greenhouse gas emissions in California to 1990 levels by 2020. Many Californians saw Proposition 23 as a battle between out-of-state oil producers versus environmentalists and in-state venture capitalists spurring a clean energy revolution, so it’s no surprise California rejected it by a 61 percent to 39 percent margin. But the vote …
A study out of Stanford analyzes factors that lead to California’s lower per-capita electricity consumption. Proponents of regulation and cap and trade often point to the “success” California has had reducing per-capita electricity consumption (Note the reduction is relative to per-capita consumption in the rest of the U.S.). The study finds that the vast majority of the difference in electricity use is explained by factors other than policy. For instance, the mild weather and California’s relatively higher use of natural gas for space heating, led to a 15.8% reduction in …
The road to Hell was paved with good intentions and so too are California’s green energy initiatives. Environmental activists point to California as the petri dish for the burgeoning of a green economy. Last week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Lisa Jackson, gave a speech at the Governor’s Global Climate Summit change held in Los Angeles, which highlighted the important role that California has played in climate change legislation: California has been out front on energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction, transportation innovation, and so much more. In many ways, the country …
