On February 14, 2008, the California Air Resources Board’s Economic and Technology Advancement Advisory Committee (ETAAC) released its final recommendations regarding proposed technologies and policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in California. Pursuant to the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), ETAAC is required to advise CARB regarding “activities that will facilitate investment in and implementation of technological research and development opportunities.” The recommendations were developed through a year-long public participation process and input from California’s technology community. ETAAC approved the final report on February 11, 2008.

ETAAC’s recommendations are designed to facilitate the development of technologies that help meet, or even exceed, California’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. To achieve those goals, California must move from its current level of 14 tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent per person down to 10 tons/person by 2020. By 2050, California must achieve an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which would require a level of 1.5 tons/person. According to ETAAC, these significant reductions will require more efficient use of energy, the virtual elimination of all greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s energy infrastructure, and a substantially different mix of transportation systems and fuels.

The ETAAC report contains a chapter offering economic/financial strategies for climate change solutions that stretch across all sectors, followed by individual chapters offering strategies and opportunities for six specific sectors: transportation; industrial, commercial, and residential energy use; electricity and natural gas; agricultural; forestry; and water. ETAAC’s recommendations will be used by CARB as it develops an overall Scoping Plan for AB 32. The Plan, when it is completed, will have a range of greenhouse gas reduction actions which may include direct regulations, alternative compliance mechanisms, monetary and non-monetary incentives, voluntary actions, and market-based mechanisms such as a cap-and-trade system.

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