The California Air Resources Board got the green light on its carbon cap-and-trade program June 24. The First District Appellate Court overturned a lower court’s ruling that found the Air Board’s cap-and-trade analysis legally deficient and put the trading scheme on hold while regulators beefed up their analysis of other options for cutting greenhouse gases under the state’s climate protection law, AB 32. In a two-page ruling, the appellate court cleared the way for the Air Board’s greenhouse gas trading market, the launch of which was initially set for January 2012. “The court of appeal’s recent stay order allows ARB staff to move ahead on the proposed regulation to keep that option open for the board,” Stanley Young, agency spokesperson stated. “Leading to an August 24 Board meeting, ARB is now seeking public comment on the environmental analysis of the alternatives to cap-and-trade in keeping with ARB’s interest in public participation and informed decision-making.” As of press time, the environmental justice plaintiffs opposing cap-and-trade were not sure whether they would appeal the ruling. “Right now, we’re discussing options with our clients,” said Maya Golden-Krasner, Communities for a Better Environment attorney, representing the Association of Irritated Residents. A public workshop to discuss the Air Board’s AB 32 supplement scoping plan pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act is set for July 25. * * * * * A new state standard is likely to mean a growing number of electric cars that charge up off the grid. The California Air Resources Board this fall expects to introduce standards for cars sold post-2016 that will ratchet down greenhouse gas emissions well beyond existing requirements--resulting in average mileage in excess of 50 miles per gallon. To that end, the Air Board announced June 28 that it’s holding a series of public meetings around the state on the forthcoming rules in July. The standards--which would cover cars built for model years 2017 through 2025 are considered integral to meeting the state’s 2050 greenhouse gas reduction target of 80 percent below the 1990 level. Word came of the workshops just a day after President Barack Obama called for a federal mileage standard of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025.