What's New List Serve Post Display

ARB Newsclips for May 10, 2012. 

This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office
of Communications.  You may need to sign in or register with
individual websites to view some of the following news articles.

CALIFORNIA-QUEBEC LINKAGE 

California takes step toward linking CO2 market to Quebec.
California on Wednesday released an updated draft of its
cap-and-trade regulations that for the first time includes
language that would link its carbon market to a similar scheme in
the Canadian province of Quebec. The draft language called for
the mutual acceptance of compliance instruments like allowances
and offset credits between the two jurisdictions. It also called
for a common allowance registry and auction, and included
provisions for tracking allowances which are designed to enhance
market security. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/us-california-quebec-idUSBRE8490DP20120510

California and Quebec Near an Agreement for Trading of Carbon
Permits. San Francisco — California and Quebec moved to knit
together their fledgling carbon markets on Wednesday as
California proposed a new regulation allowing cross-border
trading of the permits that industries must acquire to cover
their emissions of greenhouse gases. It is the first cross-border
carbon trading system created since 2005, when the European Union
introduced such a trading network to help it meet emissions
limits set by the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that went into effect
that year. Posted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/business/energy-environment/california-and-quebec-to-allow-cross-border-trading-of-emissions-permits.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

Quebec joins California in cap and trade market. California may
not have to go it alone on cap-and-trade after all. Under rules
proposed Wednesday by state regulators, the Canadian province of
Quebec will link its cap-and-trade system to California's in
November. The joint market will allow businesses in both
California and Quebec to trade permits to emit the greenhouse
gases behind global warming. California officials who have spent
years developing a carbon market have always hoped to include
other states and provinces. Posted.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/10/MNEE1OFVRL.DTL&type=printable

Quebec Joins California Cap-and-Trade Program. California finally
has some company in its bid to cap greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate Watch Senior Editor Craig Miller says it’s been a long
haul. CRAIG MILLER: For years, California regulators have been
shopping for partners for the state’s fledgling cap-and-trade
program, and now they have one: Quebec. It’s the first of four
Canadian provinces that could eventually combine their
carbon-trading markets with California’s. MARY NICHOLS: It's a
demonstration that you can work out all the technical details and
difficulties of linking two very different economies with each
other. Posted.
http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2012/05/09/93541/quebec_joins_california_capandtrade_program?category=science

California's air board releases rules linking carbon market with
Quebec. California's air-quality regulator released draft
regulations Wednesday to link its cap-and-trade program with
Quebec, bringing them a step closer to a joint carbon dioxide
allowance trading market. The draft regulations would make CO2
allowances interchangeable, according to a California Air
Resources Board statement. A California CO2 allowance could be
used for compliance in Quebec, and vice versa.  The first linked
auction is scheduled for November 14, CARB said. Posted.
http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/6285920

Calif. prepares to link its market with Quebec's. California is
proposing next month to cement its link to Quebec as the first
North American jurisdictions to cap greenhouse gas emissions
economywide, a move that the Golden State hopes will send a
"strong message" to both Canada and the United States. With the
release yesterday of documents to formally merge markets with
Quebec, the chief architect of California's system reiterated the
importance of having another trading partner in the landmark
venture. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/05/10/4 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

California eyes cap-and-trade link with Quebec. An update on
California's carbon trading plans includes the possibility of
linking the cap-and-trade scheme with a similar mechanism in
Quebec. The draft proposals, released yesterday, outline the US
state and Canadian province could share allowances and offset
credits, while also establishing a common allowance registry and
auction mechanism, as well as provisions for tracking allowances
to ensure the security of the market. Posted.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2173748/california-eyes-cap-trade-link-quebec

California Air Resources Board releases draft regulations for
cap-and-trade program linkage with Québec.  The California Air
Resources Board (ARB) released proposed regulations to link its
cap-and-trade program to Québec’s to form a joint carbon market
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Earlier post.)  The draft
linkage regulations provide guidelines to ensure that California
and Québec carbon allowances are interchangeable at auction and
can be used for compliance purposes in one another’s programs.
Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/05/arb-20120510.html

AIR POLLUTION

Revised hydrogen plant would emit less pollution. A fertilizer
factory and part-time hydrogen power plant proposed outside
Tupman would produce less air pollution than had been anticipated
under an earlier, electricity-only version of the project,
according to paperwork filed this month with the state. Although
it still does not sit well with farmers and other neighbors, the
$4 billion Hydrogen Energy California project is expected to
produce 164 tons a year of nitrogen oxide -- 16 percent less of
the smog contributing gas than state officials said would have
been produced under the project's earlier plans. Posted.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x796275637/Revised-hydrogen-plant-would-emit-less-pollution

Smog, smog, go away. California’s cities among the most
ozone-polluted nationwide. Nine of the 10 most ozone-polluted
cities in the nation are in California, an American Lung
Association report finds. The top-five worst regions for ozone
pollution are Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside,
Visalia-Porterville, Bakersfield-Delano, Fresno-Madera and
Hanford-Corcoran, according to California Healthline. According
to the report, 90 percent of Californians live in counties that
received a failing grade for ozone or particle pollution, and no
city in California was among the 25 cleanest cities in the
nation. Posted.
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/smog-smog-go-away/content?oid=5955286

CLIMATE CHANGE

Argentina slows climate action amid energy supply crisis. While
its Latin American neighbors move forward with national climate
laws, Argentina is backsliding on actions to tackle its
greenhouse gas emissions as the country struggles to meet energy
demand from a fast-growing middle class. Argentina's GDP grew 7.3
percent last year, driving demand for energy that is
overwhelmingly derived from fossil fuels. Posted.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/us-argentina-climate-idUSBRE8490DN20120510

Oil-Sands Emissions Low Enough for Europe, Alberta Says.
Carbon-dioxide emissions from Canada’s oil sands are low enough
to allow the crude to be sold in Europe, the government of
Alberta said, challenging a European Union study on the issue.
Emissions from oil-sands output are as much as 12 percent higher
than conventional methods of production and refining used in
Europe, according to a report paid for by the government of
Alberta, where most of Canada’s oil-sands deposits are located.
Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-09/oil-sands-emissions-low-enough-for-europe-alberta-says.html

Alberta study claims E.U. has 'overstated' carbon intensity of
Canadian oil. In a challenge to Europe, the Albertan government
is arguing via a new report that the Canadian oil sands are not
as bad for climate change as they have been portrayed to be. The
analysis is aimed squarely at Europe's fuel quality directive,
which would label the Canadian oil sands as 22 percent more
carbon-intensive than conventional fuels. Instead, the number is
closer to 12 percent, states the report, commissioned by the
Albertan government and released by the Jacob Consultancy, an arm
of a California-based engineering firm. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/05/10/7

Giant SoCal water agency says global warming law will cost it $10
million to $50 million a year.  Southern California's biggest
water wholesaler says it faces an extra $10 million to $50
million in annual expenses to comply with California's global
warming law.  Those costs will flow down to ratepayers already
stressed by steeply rising bills, said the giant Metropolitan
Water District, importer of most of the water used in Southern
California.  To forestall this increase, Metropolitan is asking
for an exemption from the "cap-and-trade" greenhouse emissions
requirements of Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions
Act, said Jeff Kightlinger, Metropolitan's general manager. 
Posted. 
http://www.nctimes.com/business/giant-socal-water-agency-says-global-warming-law-will-cost/article_0c8d24ff-15ef-5b55-b641-a1ab2bb03f60.html

DIESEL EMISSIONS

Study Warns of $7 A Gallon Diesel in California By 2020. State's
Cap-and-Trade Plan, Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Concern Trucking
Industry. A study commissioned by the California Trucking
Association claims the combined effect of a proposed
cap-and-trade carbon emissions program and a pending 2020
low-carbon fuel standard by the California Air Resources Board
could potentially drive diesel fuel prices up to $6.69 a gallon.
Posted.
http://www.trucktrend.com/features/news/2012/163_news120508_study_warns_7_dollar_gallon_diesel_in_california_by_2020/index.html

Tractor-trailer owners urged to register early to take advantage
of CARB rule options.  The California Air Resources Board (CARB)
is encouraging small fleet owners of 2010 and older model year
53-foot or longer box-type trailers that operate on California
highways to report vehicle information now to gain additional
time to comply with the Tractor-Trailer Greenhouse Gas
regulation.  Small fleets consist of 20 or fewer box-type
trailers and can include both dry- and refrigerated-van trailers.
 Posted. 
http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2012/5/10/Tractor-trailerownersurgedtoregisterearlytotakeadvantageofCARBruleoptions.aspx

FUELS

Sugar Cane Grows on Oil as $71 Billion Bet Outspends D.C.. BP Plc
(BP/) has invested $7 billion in alternative energy since 2005.
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) is spending $600 million on a 10-year
effort to turn algae into oil. And Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)
has been buying up sugar cane mills, plantations and refineries
to make ethanol in Brazil. In the U.S., Shell already produces
small lots of so-called drop-in biofuels--engine-ready products
that can replace gasoline from a plant in Houston that uses sugar
beets and crop waste. Posted.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-10/sugar-cane-grows-on-big-oil-as-71-billion-bet-outspends-d-c-.html

California Energy Commission adopts $100M investment plan update
for 2012-2013 to increase use of green vehicles and alt fuels. 
The California Energy Commission unanimously adopted a 2012-2013
Investment Plan Update to increase the use of green vehicles and
alternative fuels. The update sets funding priorities for the
approximately $100 million in annual state funds under the
Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle
Technology Program (AB 118 program).  The investment plan update
was developed with the input of the ARFVT Program Advisory
Committee, stakeholders and the public.  Posted. 
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/05/cec-20120510.html

USDA predicts record corn production. Corn farmers will produce a
record 14.79 billion bushels in the 2012-2013 season, the
Agriculture Department predicted today in its first forecasts for
the coming year's crop production. The amount is 11 percent
higher than the previous record of 13.09 billion bushels in 2009,
and 65 percent higher than what corn farmers were producing a
decade ago. The prediction by USDA drew cheers from the ethanol
industry, which said it showed that the department was confident
in the ability of corn farmers to provide enough corn for both
food and renewable fuel. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/print/2012/05/10/2  BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

GREEN ENERGY

Solar beats wind and gas combined as Europe's top new electricity
source. Solar power was the top source of new electricity
generation capacity in Europe last year, beating natural gas and
wind combined, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association
said yesterday in a new report. Europe connected 21.9 gigawatts
of solar power to the grid in 2011, up from 13.4 GW in 2010 and
compared with just below 10 GW each for wind and gas. Europe
remained the main market for photovoltaic technology, as 75
percent of the new global capacity was installed there. Posted.
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/print/2012/05/10/9 BY
SUBSCRIPTION ONLY

MISCELLANEOUS

Tyler Environmental Prize Winners: Pollution's Effects
Far-Reaching. Two California scientists have been honored for
their research into air pollution, outdoor and indoor.  This
year’s winners of the $200,000 Tyler Prize for Environmental
Achievement, John Seinfeld and Kirk Smith, have shown the
far-reaching nature of the problem. Nearly half of the world’s
people use biomass fuels such as wood or dried dung to cook their
food, and many cook indoors.  Posted.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Tyler-Environmental-Prize-Winners-Pollutions-Effects-Far-Reaching-150840835.html

OPINIONS

Parlez-vous Francais? California joins Quebec in new climate
change initiative. Changement climatique, pac et commerce, huh?
Industrial and commercial polluters in Bakersfield and Kern
County may want to invest in some French/Engish dictionaries soon
with the announcement yesterday that California and Québec will
be forming a joint carbon market as part of their efforts to
address climate change. The announcement coincided with the
release by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) of proposed
regulations to link its cap-and-trade program to Québec’s.
Posted.
http://www.examiner.com/article/parlez-vous-francais-california-joins-quebec-new-climate-change-initiative

Bay Area’s air is cleaner, but we can still do more. The Bay Area
may not be the first place in California that comes to mind when
talking about smog. Certainly Los Angeles and the Central Valley
evoke pictures of hazy skylines laden with particulate matter.
Fighting traffic congestion, and its attendant smog and emissions
problems, however, has long been one of the Bay Area’s most
intractable problems. Posted.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2012/05/bay-area-s-air-cleaner-we-can-still-do-more

‘Green energy’s dirty little secret. Just when you think that
things could not get worse, they usually do. We all witnessed the
criminal misappropriation of over a half-billion taxpayer dollars
by the Obama administration to the solar company Solyndra, an
expensive offering to the cause of radical environmentalism. The
company went bankrupt last August and over 1,000 workers lost
their jobs. Then I read this week that Solyndra appears to have
abandoned toxic and hazardous waste at its facilities, mainly
heavy metals and contaminated machinery used to make solar
panels. Posted.
http://www.wpcva.com/opinion/article_fecd663a-9ab5-11e1-8a31-001a4bcf887a.html

Green Energy Won't be Soiled. Public backing of green energy in
some corners has a red mark on its back. But the White House has
no problem putting those projects right in the bull’s eye, noting
that its policies have untangled important wind and solar
ventures. It’s been a multi-tiered strategy that includes
streamlining the permitting processes and placing green
facilities on land that is now contaminated. And while the
administration’s critics will say that renewable energy is not
viable without lucrative tax breaks, the president’s team is
plowing forth. Posted.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2012/05/10/green-energy-wont-be-soiled/

BLOGS

Assessing Whether Solar Panels Make Sense for You. As I report in
The Times, legions of companies will offer to install a system at
no upfront cost and promise customers cheaper, cleaner
electricity over the course of 20 years. Some are small and
local, while others, including SolarCity, Sunrun, Sungevity and
SunEdison, are larger, with national or even international reach.
Some large manufacturers, like SolarWorld, even offer financing
plans for home installations. For residential customers, the
deals can seem attractive. Posted.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/how-to-assess-whether-solar-panels-make-sense-for-you/?ref=science

First Real Partner for California’s Cap & Trade Program. Quebec
has emerged as California’s first full-blown partner in the
carbon trading program that ramps up later this year. That means
that, pending final approval next month, when the two governments
issue their first round of greenhouse gas pollution permits in
November, industrial buyers will be able to use them both
interchangeably. Posted.
http://blogs.kqed.org/climatewatch/2012/05/09/first-real-partner-for-californias-cap-trade-program/

LA and Long Beach Ports adopt Clean Ship Programs in Hopes to
Reduce Air Pollution. Last week the Port of Los Angeles and the
neighboring Port of Long Beach each adopted programs to provide
financial incentives to shipping companies to reduce their air
pollution.  The gargantuan cargo ships that dock at the ports
emit similarly gargantuan amounts of air pollution, including
diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides (“NOx”).  The new
clean ship programs are a welcome step in the right direction to
clean up this mess. Posted.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mwyenn/la_and_long_beach_ports_adopt.html