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The California Air Resources Board won some plaudits September 17 at a meeting to discuss the additional measures it proposed for its “early actions” list of greenhouse gas reduction strategies. The Western States Petroleum Association supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions, said its president Joe Sparano. “It’s really important that we have a bold early action list,” said Bill Magavern, Sierra Club California senior legislative representative. He lauded the Air Board for moving to add new action requirements to its original list. CARB is carrying out the state’s greenhouse gas reduction legislation, AB 32. Its initial “early actions” list--which included reducing do-it-yourself automotive refrigerant fix-its--caused the former board chair to be sacked by the governor because the measures weren’t considered broad enough. Magavern and other environmentalists said measures to reduce greenhouse gases should put cleaning up vehicles at the top of the list. However, some criticized the Air Board’s proposed list expansion for what they said were deficiencies. “There are still a lot of low carbon fuels that are not in the mix,’ said Michael Eaves, California Natural Gas Vehicle coalition executive director. He said that the low carbon fuel standard included on the Air Board’s early actions list appears weighted primarily toward liquid biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, which can be mixed into conventional petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel. He said such fuels “are receiving the major focus” under the state’s global warming plan at the expense of other fuels. Earlier this month, the Air Board proposed augmenting measures to its early action list. They included adding six new measures to its list of three so-called “discrete early actions.” These are rules it pledges to adopt and enforce by the beginning of 2010. The new measures include electrifying the state’s biggest ports, expected to increase the state’s power load by 893 MW. The electrified ports are expected to be partly state-funded under a draft California Air Resources Board concept paper released September 19. It supports allotting the first phase of the $1 billion generated by Proposition 1B to reduce air pollution from the movement of goods by trucks, trains, ships and harbor craft. Having ships plug into onshore power instead of running their engines to make onboard power while in port is seen as a key way to cut both greenhouse gases and smog-forming pollutants. The Air Board plans a round of hearings on how to spend the money in Long Beach October 1, San Diego October 3, Oakland October 4, Fresno October 10, and Sacramento October 11. The Air Board also announced it was adding five additional measures to its list of “other early actions.” These include greenhouse gas reduction rules the agency will work on--but not necessarily--adopt by 2010. That is the deadline mandated by AB 32. Among them is a measure to enhance recovery of refrigerants from window air conditioning units and old refrigerators by “better” coordinating with utility energy efficiency appliance rebate programs. Editors’ note: For a more detailed version of the CARB “early actions” story, please see our sister publication E=MC2 – Energy Meets Climate Challenge. You can find it at www.energymeetsclimate.com.

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