The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has announced a series of public workshops to give an overview of the Draft Concept Paper for the Cap-and-Trade Auction Proceeds Second Investment Plan, as well as to receive additional public comment on the Draft Funding Guidelines for Agencies Administering California Climate Investments.
Workshops will be held during the first two weeks of August in Sacramento, Fresno, Oroville, Oakland, Fontana, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The Investment Plan will prioritize how the State will spend Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund monies over the next three years, while the Guidelines direct state agencies on how to administer the funds via grant programs.
A draft version of the Guidelines was previously released to the public in June with a July 29, 2015 comment deadline, with staff expecting to release another draft, conduct a second public comment period, and submit to the Board for approval at its July 23, 2015 meeting. After many stakeholders commented that the timeframe was too short for meaningful public input, ARB decided to extend the initial comment period to August 14, 2015, and delay Board adoption until its September meeting. ARB has yet to release a draft of the Investment Plan, but expects to have a concept paper out for public review by July 24.
Information on the Investment Plan, including the draft concept paper, Guidelines, and workshop locations will be posted to ARB’s website as it becomes available. ARB’s Cap-and-Trade website can be accessed here.