Manufacturers Concerned About AB 32's Economic Impact

Although no global warming skeptics were in evidence, business leaders voiced concerns about the potential economic impacts of the implementation and oversight of greenhouse gas regulations at a California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) conference January 30. "History has shown that environmental regulations' leadership in this policy area have helped California maintain a strong, innovative, and growing economy for decades," said Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. Kehoe cited environmental regulations that boosted the economy. Those include ones that have allowed California to lead the nation in medical, information, nano-, bio-, and - "soon" - clean technology. Kehoe pointed out that all of these successes occurred over the past three decades when California's clean-air initiatives were in effect. To avoid economic impacts from implementation of AB 32, the state's ambitious greenhouse gas reduction law, Dorothy Rothrock, CMTA senior vice-president, governmental regulations, wanted to ensure that the trigger that's included in the implementation phase alerts the governor if the economy is suffering. This would allow "the governor and Legislature to be able to track the impact on the economy," she explained. The state plans to examine the potential economic impacts of the greenhouse gas reduction law's limits. "We will engage a number of our universities; we have looked outside of the state and are looking mostly in-state," said Eileen Tutt, assistant secretary for climate change activities. Tutt noted that the California Air Resources Board's newly created Technology and Economic Advisory Committee includes CMTA's Rothrock among its members. DuPont and others voiced support for a trading system in carbon. Tom Jacob, DuPont Western regional manager of government affairs, said that "a bounty on carbon emission reductions can enlist an entire economy in finding innovative ways to rein in emissions." Kehoe said she supports the creation of the market advisory committee to help develop a trading system. She also said that she will invite all business members to her committee meetings to discuss market trading in the future. "We need a real market. We need as simple a one as possible; as broad a one as possible. By real I mean you can't opt out if things go up and down." - Corky Templeman

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Manufacturers Concerned About AB 32’s Economic Impact

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