California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office has rejected a new report that says the Golden State will not be able to meet its climate change obligations unless it nearly triples its greenhouse gas reduction rate by 2030. .
of Analysis by Beacon EconomicsCalifornia’s emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases rose 3.4% in 2021 after declining during the pandemic, according to a study by a Los Angeles-based economic research firm. This increase will further delay California’s ability to meet state law’s requirement to reduce emissions by 40% in 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
“The cost of getting states back up to speed will depend on what approach we take,” lead researcher Stafford Nichols told Fox News Digital. “Some strategies are cheaper than others. Changes could be made to California’s regulatory framework to encourage and enable the adoption of new technologies.”
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A new report reveals California is falling short of its climate goals. (The Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images/File)
“But politics can get in the way of this decision-making framework, and politicians don’t always choose the most efficient strategy,” he added.
California’s regulatory plan, sponsored by Gov. Gavin Newsom and banning new gasoline-powered vehicles over the next 10 years, would improve public health by reducing the amount of particulate matter such as dust, dirt and soot in the air. It is intended to protect.
But not all experts agree with the state’s push for so-called “clean energy,” which is energy from renewable sources that produce solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy.
Ronald Stein, an energy consultant with the nonprofit Heartland Institute, said in an interview on Fox News Digital that California’s clean energy movement is “increasing emissions around the world.”
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Energy consultant Ronald Stein said California’s clean energy movement is “increasing emissions around the world.” (Ben Brewer/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
“Because what we’re doing is basically outsourcing all the product back to California to other countries, and those countries don’t have environmental or labor regulations.” Stein said. “We continue to shut down gas power plants, and California now imports more electricity than any other state.”
He added: “We have the demand and our neighbors have the supply.”
To meet its own goals, California will need to cut massive emissions, amounting to more than 100 million tons a year, according to an analysis by the economic firm. The analysis shows the state will not be able to reduce emissions by 258 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent on its current trajectory.
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Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital that the analysis does not tell the full story of the state’s efforts to address climate change.
“No one thought we would meet our climate goals of 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. is years ahead of schedule, and we will continue to prove everyone wrong,” a spokesperson for Newsom said.
“We would like to emphasize that this study does not take into account many of the current and future efforts to achieve this goal,” the spokesperson added.
Mr. Newsom’s office also said the state is investing more than $48 billion alone to address climate change, including $10 billion in zero-emission vehicles and chargers.
“This is on top of billions of dollars in federal spending to accelerate the transition to clean energy,” the spokesperson said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (MediaNews Group/East Bay Times, via Getty Images/File)
According to Energy Sage, which monitors energy prices across the country, people living in California pay 32 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to the national average of 18 cents. According to the report, California residents pay an average of $273 per month, or $3,276 per year, for electricity.
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Meanwhile, industry officials told FOX News Digital that the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to make a final decision this week on regulations targeting gas-powered vehicle emissions, and officials are planning to issue a nationwide Although the government boasts that it will help promote the spread of automobiles, opponents criticize it as an unfair regulation. De facto delegation. The regulation is a key part of President Biden’s climate plan and will ultimately force automakers to more quickly expand electric options on their vehicles in the coming years.
FOX News’ Eric Revell, Thomas Catenacci and William La Jeunesse contributed to this report.
