Environmental Legislative/Lobbying Activities

Environmental Legislative/Lobbying Activities

The Kirsch Foundation supports SB 532 for the following reasons:

• The recent electricity crisis provides an important reminder of the consequences of continued reliance on fossil fuels. California should seize this opportunity to embark upon an aggressive deployment of renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal that will provide a host of economic, public health and consumer benefits.
  
• California currently procures about 10% of its electricity from renewable energy, not including hydropower. Moving to 20% renewables by 2010 would reduce our increasing reliance on natural gas, protecting consumers and our economy from price and supply shocks, and cut the air, water and global warming pollution caused by burning fossil fuels.
  
• Renewable energy resources are a critical weapon in the fight against air pollution and climate change. Electricity generation from fossil fuels is second only to motor vehicles for the air pollution and global warming emissions that it produces. By replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, California will significantly reduce air pollution and global warming emissions.
  

The Kirsch Foundation joins a host of organizations in support of SB 532 including Global Warming Campaign, California League of Conservation Voters, Coalition for Clean Air, Environmental Defense, Global Green USA, Natural Resources Defense Council, Planning and Conservation League, Southern California Ecumenical Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Utility Reform Network.

The Los Angeles Times as well as The Mercury News editorialized in support of SB 532 in 2002.

Bill Update: While SB 532 passed through the Assembly Natural Resources Committee in the first part of the 2001-02 California legislative session, it failed passage in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. The bill must be approved in that committee before moving on for consideration by the entire Assembly.

CA Assembly Bill 2461

The Kirsch Foundation supports AB 2461, authored by Assemblymember Fred Keeley (D-27th District) and sponsored by the California Electric Transportation Coalition. This bill renews an expiring California law to keep vehicle license fees for clean, alternative-fuel vehicles competitive with those of traditional vehicles.

About AB 2461
Pricing clean vehicles comparable to traditional vehicles is critical to their acceptance by the mass market. Currently, alternative-fuel vehicles such as EVs are priced at a premium compared to similar gas powered vehicles. By charging a registration fee based on the price of a comparable gasoline powered vehicle instead of the clean vehicle’s sticker price, the state can eliminate one financial obstacle to alternative-fuel vehicle owners. AB 2461 would continue to reduce financial barriers to clean vehicle use. By removing a barrier for consumers who want to purchase automobiles that do not pollute, California will continue to clean up its air.

Bill Update: The bill passed out of the Assembly on May 29 with a vote of 79-0 and now heads to the Senate.

CA Senate Bill 1994 and CA Assembly Bill 2682

The Kirsch Foundation supports identical bills – SB 1994 and AB 2682 – co-authored by Senator Nell Soto (D-Ontario) and Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-49th District), which create $200 million in state programs fighting petroleum-related pollution of air and water.

About SB 1994 and AB 2682
This legislation adds a $0.30 fee to each barrel of oil refined in California, generating $200 million annually for clean air and water incentive programs. The Carl Moyer Program, which provides incentives to reduce commercial engine emissions, has been subject to funding uncertainty as a result of its dependence on the state budgeting process. SB 1994 and AB 2682 create a permanent funding source for the Moyer program. In addition, previous studies have linked older school buses to high levels of pollution both inside and outside of the vehicle. This legislation would establish the first California program targeted specifically at the pollution created by these dirty diesel buses and its dangers to children.

In addition to the Kirsch Foundation, the American Lung Association, California League of Conservation Voters, California Public Interest Research Group, Clean Power Campaign, League of California Cities, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Planning and Conservation League support these bills.

Bill Update: SB 1994 passed out of the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality on a 4-2 vote and currently resides in the Senate Appropriations Committee. AB 2682 successfully passed the Assembly’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and is now in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

CA Assembly Bill 2677

The Kirsch Foundation supports AB 2677, authored by Assemblymember Joe Nation (D-6th District), that would direct the California Energy Commission (CEC) to draft model regulations for clean vehicle parking incentive programs. These model ordinances would provide local governments with well-developed clean vehicle incentives that could be readily implemented.

About AB 2677
The incentives created by AB 2677 would encourage the purchase and use of vehicles that substantially reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria pollutants, and toxic air contaminants. These model local ordinances would give more cities the opportunity to promote vehicles with reduced environmental impacts. The addition of several convenient policy options will allow local cities to speedily enact incentives without having to commit scant staff resources to research and drafting of unique local ordinances. Fewer barriers to introducing clean vehicle incentives at the local level will lead to more localities offering them.

Bill Update: On May 13, AB 2677 passed out of the Assembly on a vote of 54-31 and is currently in the Senate.

CA Assembly Bill 2774

The Foundation supports AB 2774, authored by State Assemblymember Fran Pavley (D-41st District), which requires the development of a pubic education campaign encouraging the purchase of advanced technology vehicles. This program would familiarize consumers throughout the state about clean vehicles currently available in the marketplace.

About AB 2774
Recent polls demonstrate that the public remains very unfamiliar with new vehicle technologies such as EVs and hybrids. This lack of knowledge provides a significant barrier to the adoption of these advanced technologies. AB 2774 would create a diverse stakeholder group to provide information that encourages the purchase and use of vehicles that substantially reduce air pollution in California.

Bill Update: On May 23, AB 2774 passed out of the Assembly on a vote of 52-24 and is currently in the Senate.


CA Assembly Bill 1314

The Kirsch Foundation supports AB 1314, authored by Assemblymember Sally Havice (D-56th District), which provides enforcement for parking spaces designated for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

About AB 1314
This bill encourages ZEV use by ensuring that electric vehicles (EV) drivers have access to public charging infrastructure and other specially reserved spaces. EV drivers are sometimes prevented from parking by traditional vehicles improperly occupying charging spaces. Given that chargers are frequently placed at prime parking locations to incentivize EV use, illegally parked vehicles can diminish this incentive.

Currently, parking enforcement at EV charging locations has been inconsistent due to ambiguous enforcement laws and lack of a universal ZEV identifier. AB 1314 eliminates this tenuous situation and creates a clear identification method modeled after the successful disabled parking program.

Bill Update: On May 17, AB 1314 passed out of the Assembly on a vote of 75-0 and is currently in the Senate.

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• A July 2001 study released by the National Academy of Science suggests automakers could increase the fuel efficiency of cars, pickups, sport utility vehicles and vans by 16 percent to 47 percent over the next 10 to 15 years on average. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) estimates those improvements could save consumers $800-$1600 over the 14-year lifespan of a vehicle. Light-truck fuel economy could increase by as much as 80 percent, according to UCS, with the increased costs of the vehicle technology more than offset by fuel savings over its lifetime.
  
• Although today's corporate average fuel economy standards are outdated, existing technologies could bring the typical family car to over 45 mpg, doubling the fuel economy of the average SUV.
  
• According to UCS, increasing fuel economy standards for all passenger vehicles to 40 mpg by 2012 maximizes flexibility for automakers while giving consumers greater choice. The 40-mpg standard would eliminate 374 million tons of global warming pollution annually in 2012.
• While automakers claim that a CAFE increase would be a “business catastrophe,” UCS reported in February 2002 that raising fuel economy standards could create 182,700 jobs in construction, automobile, service, retail and other industries.
  

Bill Update: On August 1, 2001, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 269-160 against raising fuel mileage standards for SUVs and light-trucks to 27.5 miles per gallon, from the current fleet average of 20.7 mpg. When the bill was passed to the Senate, Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and John McCain (R-AZ) proposed a compromise that would have raised CAFE requirements about 50% to 27.5 miles per gallon for sedans and 20.7 mpg for SUVs, minivans and pickups over the next 15 years. After a visible national debate, the Senate voted 62-38 to reject the Kerry-McCain proposal in favor of allowing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study CAFE for two years before making policy recommendations to Congress. In addition, the Senate added a provision that would permanently exempt light trucks from any future increases in CAFE. On April 25, the Senate passed comprehensive energy legislation without the increased CAFE regulations by a vote of 88-11. The legislation now heads to a joint House-Senate conference committee where the differences between the two bills will be worked out. If the committee reaches a compromise, the bill will go to both houses of Congress for approval once again. It is possible that Congress will ultimately not approve a comprehensive energy bill, in light of the level of disagreement among members on the varied, contentious issues.

Read "A Dangerous Addiction," a report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Natural Resources Defense Council in January 2002 that discusses ending America's oil dependence. Step #1 of the Five-Step Oil Security Program to Cut Oil Dependence is "Raise Fuel Economy Standards."

CA Assembly Concurrent Resolution 213

The Kirsch Foundation supports ACR 213, authored by Assemblymember Carole Migden (D-13th District), which would encourage the Golden Gate Bridge to allow toll-free crossing for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

About ACR 213
This bill creates an incentive for ZEV purchases by allowing drivers to cross the Golden Gate Bridge without paying a toll. Due to the Foundation’s previous work on allowing single-occupant ZEVs in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle, or carpool) lane, ZEV drivers are able to cross virtually all California bridges without paying a toll. The Golden Gate Bridge does not have an HOV lane but it permits carpools to pass without paying a toll. This legislation would encourage the Golden Gate Bridge Transportation Authority to expand its carpool program to ZEVs as well.

Bill Update: ACR 213 currently resides in the Assembly.

ZEV-Related Efforts