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This page last reviewed June 22, 2009
ARB Energy Activities
Overview
In
2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly
Bill 32 (AB 32), the California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006 (Act), into law. The Act requires the
Air
Resources Board (ARB or Board) in coordination with other agencies to
reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Therefore, the
Energy
Activities page provides information on ARB's AB 32 activities as they are
related to energy, in addition to continuing to provide access to ARB's
Distributed
Generation Program and Power
Plant Guidance pages. For more information
regarding ARB's Energy Activities click on "contacts" on the left
navigation bar.
AB
32 mandates ARB to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
to 1990 levels be 2020 and to prepare a Scoping Plan detailing possible
methods to meet this goal. One of the possible emission
reductions measures contained within ARB's Draft Scoping Plan would
increase the use of combined heat and power (CHP) systems.
CHP
refers to any system that generates electricity and useful thermal
energy.
On September 25, 2000, Governor Davis signed Senate Bill 1298 (SB
1298). This bill requires the ARB to adopt a certification program for
Distributed Generation (DG) units that are exempt from local air
district permits and to issue guidance for DG units that are
subject
to district permit.
AB 32 requires ARB to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
is a very potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential
approximately 23,000 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2). ARB staff has included the reduction of SF6
emissions from the electricity sector and particle accelerators as a
possible emission reduction measure within its Proposed Scoping Plan.
The ARB adopted "Guidance
for Power Plant Siting and Best Available Control Technology"
to assist the districts in making permitting decisions
as the districts participate in the California Energy Commission's
power plant siting process. The guidance outlines ARB staff's position
on air quality-related issues for power plant projects. The
guidance is intended to provide district staff with information to
promote the siting of new power plants that utilize best
available control technology, and that are constructed and
operated in a way that eliminates or minimizes adverse air
quality impacts. Power plant proponents may also find the guidance
useful when developing and planning a proposed power plant project.
In addition to the Board's "Guidance
for Power Plant Siting and Best Available Control Technology"
this site also includes a number of links to ARB resources associated
with energy and power generation. This site includes
information on Emission Reduction Offsets Transaction Costs, Best
Available Control Technology Clearinghouse, Air District Contacts for
the Registry of Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs), Offset Packages for
Recently-Evaluated Power Plants, Emission Control Technologies for
Recently-Evaluated Power Plants, Mobile Source Emission Reduction
Credits, Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), the California
Air Pollution Control Officers Association Risk Assessment Guidelines,
and New Source Review Guidance.
Please consider joining one or more of ARB's Energy
related list serves.
Related Links:
California Energy
Commission (CEC) Home Page
California
Public Utilities Comission (CPUC) Home Page
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
For more
information about ARB's energy activities,
please contact one of the following:
Mike Tollstrup at (916) 322-6026 or via e-mail at mtollstr@arb.ca.gov
Dave Mehl at (916) 323-1491 or via e-mail at dmehl@arb.ca.gov
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