GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Comments by
Willam A. Keese
Chairman
California Energy Commission



California's Policy

California's major energy policies over the past 20 years were designed to respond to energy and air quality issues affecting the state's economy and environment. Adopting these "no-regrets" policies -- including improving energy efficiency, reducing regulated pollutants and developing renewable energy resources petroleum -- has resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions, in most sectors, than the national average.

As summarized in a 1991 Energy Commission report "...a human-caused increase in the natural concentration of these gases poses the serious risk of altering global climate patterns...enough to warrant actions to reduce the human contribution to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations."


California's Emissions of Greenhouse Gases

Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) account for nearly 88 percent of California's greenhouse gas problem. Other greenhouse gases include methane and nitrous oxide. While criteria air pollutants such as carbon monoxide are not actual greenhouse gases, they also contribute to global climate change effects through various chemical reactions. As the graph shows, about 57 percent of California's carbon dioxide is generated by transportation.

California's per-capita emission of carbon dioxide is 40 percent less than the national average. Of the 40 percent, at least 10 percentage points (equivalent to about 40 million tons of carbon dioxide per year) are directly attributable to California's efforts in energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy resources than the national average. The remaining 30 percentage points are due to climate differences, the lower concentration of energy-intensive industry in the state, and the fact that much of the electricity consumed in California is generated outside the state.

California CO2 Emissions From Fossil Fuel Combustion in 1994

[Graph of CO2 Emissions]


Strategies to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  1. Promote transportation fuel alternatives and energy efficiency.

    California has been at the forefront of researching, developing and demonstrating clean-fuel vehicle technologies and other cutting-edge transportation technologies.

    Examples:

    • In 1997, 50% of state government vehicle purchases were alternative-fueled vehicles, far exceeding the 15% requirement set in the National Energy Plan.

    • By 2003, 10% of all personal vehicles sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles.


  2. Increase use of renewable resources.

    California is a leader in developing renewable energy resources. Over 29,000 gigawatthours, or 11 percent of all the state's electricity, was generated from wind, geotheral, solar, small hydroelectric, biomass, municipal solid waste, and other renewable resource facilities in 1996. The California Legislature allocated $540 million in 1996 to support renewable resource technologies as California moves toward a fully-competitive electricity market.

    Examples:

    • Extending the life of the Geysers geotheral field by an innovative project to inject treated wastewater and other water into the depleting steam fields.

    • Creation of the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program, which funds public interest Research, Development and Demonstration efforts to advance energy science and technology, to ensure that consumers receive the benefits of public interest energy during transition to a competitive utility market.


  3. Promote energy efficiency.

    Since the late 1970s, California has led the nation in promoting energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, supported by building and appliance regulations that exceed federal standards; utility energy efficiency programs; and state government programs, including loans for energy efficiency measures; training programs for builders, manufacturers, and service technicians; and public and classroom education.

    Examples:

    • The Energy Commission and the California Building Industry Association established a program, expected to influence one-third of the California building market, to train builders on the requirements of the California energy efficiency standards.

    • A San Diego project showed that an office building could be retrofitted with readily-available technology to reduce the energy bill by 60 percent.

    • Although today's refrigerators are three-time the size of the those 40 years ago, are frost-free, perform better, and have have ice-makers, they use no more energy than their earlier cousins, thanks largely to appliance efficiency standards pioneered by California.





    Energy used to create this page was produced by California's electricity providers...
    the most diverse in the world.



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    Page Updated: March 16, 1998