The Good - Some of the Governor’s Letter to CARB on its Draft Scoping Plan
The Bad - Newsom Takes Major Step in Advancing the Delta Tunnel Project
What We're Keeping Our Eyes On - How The Governor Engages in the Final Month of the Legislative
On July 22, 2022, Gavin Newsom sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) calling for bolder action on the state's climate goals and 2022 CARB Scoping Plan. In his letter, Governor Newsom expressed that California needs to “up our game” on climate action, set a strong path to meet our 2030 climate goal, and asked CARB to update the Scoping Plan accordingly. The Governor highlights two specific actions, among others, California must take to tackle the climate crisis and slash emissions:
- Directing the California Energy Commission to plan to produce 20 GW of offshore wind energy by 2045 instead of 5 GW as currently considered.
- Setting a building electrification target of 3 million climate-ready homes constructed by 2030, 7 million homes by 2035, and deployment of 6 million electric heat pumps statewide by 2030.
Rapid expansion and deployment of offshore wind technology is crucial, as it will grow the state’s pool of available renewable energy resources, and secure a reliable electricity grid for California. But careful consideration must also be given to how offshore wind-related projects will impact marine habitats and biodiversity.
Additionally, the governor committed to allocate 50% of building decarbonization funds to low-income communities across the state. This will ensure that historically underserved communities receive the economic and health benefits associated with decarbonization. This commitment is key to facilitating an equitable transition away from fossil fuels in California, and building resilient and healthy housing infrastructure.
As part of the update to the Scoping Plan, CARB has scheduled in-person and virtual listening sessions to solicit public comment over the next several weeks. If you’d like to attend any of the in-person sessions, you can sign up to attend those here, or attend the virtual session here. Feel free to use these talking points to inform your comments.
On July 27th, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released its draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the costly and environmentally destructive Delta tunnel project. There will be a 90 day public comment period from July 27- October 27 as well as three public comment workshops hosted by the DWR in September. You can read our press release here.
In his first State of the State address in 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom announced his support for the environmentally harmful single tunnel project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.. The project, if built, would divert millions of acre-feet of freshwater from the already-vulnerable ecosystem of the Sacramento River that would otherwise flow naturally through the Bay-Delta. For years the Bay-Delta ecosystem has been severely affected by a lack of freshwater flows that has harmed the livelihood for Delta communities and led to loss of natural habitat for local species. If a tunnel is constructed and operated, water quality and quantity in the Bay-Delta will deteriorate and the ecosystem will collapse. The project is estimated to cost between $16-40 billion and won’t be completed until at least 2040.
Sierra Club California and our environmental allies have consistently urged the Newsom administration to address the state’s water needs using sustainable and reliable projects, instead of the Delta tunnel. California should focus on investments in recycling, conservation, water efficiency, storm-water capture, and better ground water management for urban and agricultural users.
Sierra Club California staff and volunteers are hard at work reviewing and dissecting the draft EIR. Once that review is complete, stay tuned for how you can engage and help in our efforts to ensure that California’s water management policy is environmentally beneficial.
In his letter to CARB, the Governor also mentioned that he plans to work with the legislature to “make carbon neutrality state law and to increase our ambition towards our 2030 climate goals.” He also added that he will “ask the Legislature to bring new ambition to the state’s clean energy goals” and recognized that in order to do so, California needs “more zero-carbon, clean energy from sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydrogen than ever before.”
Newsom is saying the right things, but what we’ll focus on are his actions. The administration has the opportunity to weigh in and support important bills that accomplish the goals the Governor laid out in his letter.
For example, Newsom’s letter notes that deployment of industrial carbon capture must be carefully considered as to its application to the oil and gas industry. Fortunately, Senate Bill 1314 by Senator Monique Limón does just that. This bill would expressly prohibit the use of carbon capture and storage for the purposes of enhanced oil recovery, a harmful practice used by the oil industry to prolong the lifetime of fossil fuels. Banning this practice would be one signal that California is committed to ending fossil fuel extraction. Governor Newsom’s support for this bill would undoubtedly help the bill in the final month of session.
Unfortunately, the administration has historically been rather hands off in the legislative process. We’ll be watching very closely over the last month of the session to see whether and how the Governor sticks to his commitments in the letter.
Follow Us:
  |
Thank you for being a part of our work! Consider making a monthly donation. You may securely donate online or by sending a check to Sierra Club California at 909 12th Street, Suite 202, Sacramento, CA 95814.
