California’s greenhouse-gas law: Who will pay?

Oakland, Calif. – Somebody, somewhere will have to pay for California’s landmark law that would force dramatic cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020. Two years on, it’s not much clearer who.

State lawmakers last week expressed frustration with a proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would further defer that decision.


Businesses may ultimately have to shell out billions for permission to pump out carbon dioxide, but that’s much further down the tailpipe. For now, a much smaller $55 million is needed to pay for the law’s setup costs, including the hiring of dozens of bureaucrats.

The governor’s plan would borrow that money from the state’s recycling fund. Legislative leaders and watchdogs have cried foul, arguing it is time to put the program on stable financial footing through a “carbon fee” on known emitters. The agency tasked with implementing the law, the Air Resources Board, counters that it wants to avoid setting fees before fully drafting its regulations.

Christian Science Monitor