Letters, I get letters

RE: California CAP AND TRADE—- I read the whole thing and I’m flipping out….
Billions will go to the state coffers…
They will blow the dough on renewables that will not work.
Disgusting. Read it and weep.
New Funding Opportunity: Cap-And-Trade Program
By: Carollyn B. Lobell, Josh D. Rosa, Jennifer M. Capitolo
03/22/12
As California’s historic Cap-and-Trade program moves forward, the State Legislature is debating how to utilize new revenues the global warming law is expected to generate. The Cap-and-Trade program sets a limit on major sources of greenhouse gases such as refineries, power plants, industrial facilities, manufacturing facilities, and transportation fuels, and establishes a financial incentive for long-term investments in cleaner fuels and more efficient energy use.
To ensure a smooth transition to these lower limits, the California Air Resources Board will auction a limited number of “allowances” permitting companies to emit a specified amount of greenhouse gases. With the first of four auctions in the 2012-13 year to take place in August, the revenues from the Cap-and-Trade auction could generate up to $3 billion. As discussed below, the revenues could provide significant funding for clean and efficient energy, low carbon transportation, natural resources protection and sustainable infrastructure development.
Description of the Cap-And-Trade Program
Enacted in 2006, AB 32 requires that by 2020, statewide greenhouse gas emissions levels be limited to 1990 levels. In order to help achieve this limit, the Air Resources Board recently adopted regulations (California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Sections 95800 to 96023) to establish a new Cap-and-Trade program that places a “cap” on aggregate greenhouse gas emissions from entities responsible for roughly 80 percent of the State’s greenhouse gas emissions. The program applies to electric utilities and large industrial facilities, starting in 2013. And in 2015, the program applies to distributors of transportation fuel, natural gas, and other fuels. Altogether, about 350 businesses, representing about 600 facilities, will be subject to Cap-and-Trade. The Air Resources Board will issue carbon allowances that these entities will, in turn, be able to “trade” (buy and sell) on the open market. As part of its plan to issue allowances, the Air Resources Board will hold quarterly auctions, at which time a portion of these allowances will be made available for purchase.
Opportunities for Funding
For 2012-13, the Air Resources Board’s auctions are estimated to generate roughly $660 million to upwards of $3 billion. The Governor’s budget for 2012-13 assumes that the state will receive $1 billion from such auctions. Of this amount, the budget assumes that $500 million of the total revenue will be used to offset existing General Fund costs of current greenhouse gas mitigation activities, such as energy efficiency, resource management, and water use efficiency. The remaining revenues will be used on new or expanded programs intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The budget language submitted by the Administration to the Legislature outlines an expenditure plan that could provide funding for any of the following activities:
Industrial and manufacturing facilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by investment in energy efficiency, energy storage, and clean and renewable energy projects;
Public universities, schools, water agencies, and other public facilities and fleets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by investment in energy and water use efficiency, energy storage, and clean and renewable energy and fuel projects;
The federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and the federal Weatherization Assistance Program;
Residential and commercial energy efficiency and distributed generation programs that serve to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
Public transportation and sustainable transportation and infrastructure development;
Programs for clean vehicles and the advancement of transportation technologies, including, but not limited to, the Air Quality Improvement Program;
Advanced transportation and fueling infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles;
Local and regional sustainable development efforts;
Low-carbon goods movement and freight vehicle technologies and infrastructure, including, but not limited to, locomotives and heavy-duty trucks;
Natural resource management programs and projects;
Land conservation and restoration; and
Development and implementation of sustainable agriculture, forestry, and related water, land, and resource management practices.
While the funds would be generated through the Cap-and-Trade auction, the funding would be available to a wide range of greenhouse gas emission reduction activities that go above and beyond the industries subject to Cap-and-Trade. The potential funding touches all sectors of the California economy and would provide many opportunities for public agencies and private industries to apply for grants to implement research, retrofit, infrastructure and sustainable practices.
Status
During the coming months, the Legislature will review the Administration’s Cap-and-Trade proposal as part of the regular budget process. Additionally, Speaker Perez has introduced AB 1532 and Senator Pavley has introduced SB 1572 which will be the legislative vehicles to outline a more specific expenditure plan for the Cap-and-Trade auction revenues. Now is the time for interested parties to be involved in shaping the guidelines and eligibility for Cap-and-Trade funds.
Jennifer Capitolo and Josh Rosa in Nossaman’s Public Policy Practice Group can assist clients in positioning themselves to secure funding from the Cap-and-Trade program. This includes reviewing potential projects, preparing funding applications and advocacy efforts to ensure competitiveness in the review process. Jennifer leads Nossaman’s Grants and Funding practice and she has successfully secured more than $250 million in funding for clients during the past few years including parks, water, housing, and transportation projects. She can be reached at jcapitolo@nossaman.com or 916.930.7706.
Carollyn Lobell, co-chair of Nossaman’s Environment and Land Use Practice Group, can assist clients with environmental review, compliance and permitting activities related to greenhouse gas emissions regulations. Carollyn has more than 30 years of experience preparing and implementing practical solutions to the project development process and helping public agencies and private organizations with regulatory compliance.

Hey… I can verify that the letter isn’t satire. It’s real.
She has another letter this week on our once fair City’s plan to ban plastic bags, oh my.
Here:
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/letters-for-march-22-2012/content?oid=5513255
She writes: ” Two hundred million barrels of oil a year are diverted to manufacture these 500 billion plastic bags. (ABC News)”
Which is even an error made by a local retired Chemistry Professor, to which I responded with:
http://www.chicoer.com/ci_20201116/letter-bag-ban-matter-misplaced-priorities?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
In the United States, plastic bags are made from polyethylene derived from natural gas.
That is not to say that plastic bag litter is a good thing… but lets at least work with factual information. I know that is asking too much at times, but it is an ideal that I like to embrace.

RE: California Cap and Trade…
Anthony, Do you think large companies like PG&E could be talked into boycotting the August Carbon Auction.? Imagine if they held an auction and nobody bid.
The first $500 million dollars the state collects from the auction has already been spent on overhead and administration of this new monstrosity and will be retained as a recovery. Half a billion down a rat-hole.
You were just there at the Capitol talking to legislators… would a boycott work?

Andi Cockroft says:
March 22, 2012 at 4:36 pm
PS – I note that Sherri’s lack of grammatical and spelling skills is a sad product of our liberal education systems globally, and a shear lack of understanding of what actually comes out of an SUV’s exhaust is indicative of what passes for science these days.
That should be “sheer,” Andi.

“At least she cares”
Now that is humourous

You folks are being much too hard on poor Sherri. Visionaries like Sherri are often a bit vague on the details (think Al Gore). That’s because they intuitively grasp the bigger picture and don’t get bogged down in the mundane details of physical science or even the constraints of common sense. They just freaking KNOW!

Looks like climate change is playing havoc on the functionality of her keyboard or spell check software.

Gail Combs: Remember Indiana is the home of Chicago…
Uh, Gail, uh, er…, not exactly. Easy to get confused there, however. Not too long ago, driving from Chicago to South Bend, I was surprised to find myself passing a Michigan highway patrol station. I’ll just assume you missed Chicago in your haste to get away from Massachusets.
: > )

Mark Sorensen says:
March 22, 2012 at 8:56 pm
“In the United States, plastic bags are made from polyethylene derived from natural gas.
That is not to say that plastic bag litter is a good thing… but lets at least work with factual information. ”
Hey come on, did the “fake but accurate” defense stop working all of a sudden?

I swear it’s better I not read that kind of letter. After too much ‘net reading, my fingers sometimes autotype “buy” for “by”.
I haven’t got to the “whose” for “who’s” yet. Nor “loose” for “lose”
It’s getting scary though.

Well we know Sherri is reading the blog….
Her video above was “removed by user”…