Friday, June 29, 2012

Manufacturers say Global Warming Law Hurts Business - Capital Public Radio News

The California Manufacturers and Technology Association report says AB 32 will substantially increase energy costs.   Association president Jack Stewart points to programs, including "cap and trade" that charge businesses for their emissions and the low carbon fuel standard, which requires increasing our use of renewable fuels, most of which will have to be imported.

STEWART: "It will have a dramatic impact on jobs by 2020. By that time we'll have lost 262,000 California jobs. When you put higher costs on families and businesses, economic activity slows. "

While there will be some costs from the law, the state agency implementing AB 32 says it will drive innovation and bring thousands of green jobs to the state.  A UC Berkeley report that finds it will directly generate more than 50,000 green jobs by 2020.

Dave Clegern is with the California Air Resources Board. 

CLEGERN: "Historically these regulations have increased the choices that California have, they've cleaned up their air, and they've brought down the costs of that new technology."

Other studies have shown that manufacturers will initially see increased costs from the law, though those reports say it's too soon to make specific dollar projections.

No comments:

Post a Comment