California lawmakers ushered in sweeping new climate change legislation that sounds good but doesn’t accomplish much, according to a former economics professor.
“Politicians are just focusing on being re-elected,” said Robert Michaels, a retired California State University (CSU)-Fullerton economics professor. “How could you not want to protect the climate? How could you not want to pass a law so that these problems that will arise over the future, if there is a climate problem, will be addressed? It shows voters that your heart’s in the right place.”
A slew of climate and energy bills was passed by the general assembly last week. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign them. The following are some of the proposed laws that Newsom is expected to sign.
SB 1137 bans new oil and gas wells within 3,200 feet of communities
“It sounds good but the measure is not going to do very much because where California's new oil and gas is going to come from is our existing supplies and being able to work existing fields more thoroughly if it becomes profitable to do so,” Michaels told the Southern California Record. “This is simply going to add another cost to the ultimate production of oil that gets delivered to people in businesses.”
AB 1279 legalizes carbon neutrality goals set for the year 2045
“California is great at putting goals out,” Michaels said. “It's the goal that's being pushed by renewables advocates but whether anything is going to get built at all or any carbon is going to be reduced is a question that will unfold over the future. There will be thousands of excuses and explanations for why it didn't happen, but probably one of the most important explanations for why it won't happen, assuming that it doesn't, is politics.”
SB 905 codified carbon capture rules
“The lawyers will love the carbon capture rules because they're important as far as efficiency is concerned and there are going to be a tremendous amount of legal fees that somebody has to pay,” Michaels said. “Otherwise, there's going to be waste. The rules create a cause of action.”
SB 846 extends Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operations until 2030 and appropriates a $1.4 billion loan to help achieve that goal.
“It’s a necessity at this point because California does not have enough power that is dependable and dispatchable,” Michaels added.