1. Promoting a Price on Carbon
Sponsored by:
LWV – Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville (California)
LWV – Evanston (Illinois)
LWV – Massachusetts
LWV – New Castle County (Delaware)
LWV – Lake Michigan Region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin

2. Agenda Introduction Eleanor Revelle, Diz Swift
Price on Carbon
Introduction Eleanor Revelle, Diz Swift
Background of LWV involvement
Price on carbon introduction
Clean Power Plan
Review of Select State’s Efforts  
Montana: A dominantly Republican coal-rich state Diz Swift
Massachusetts: Competing legislative efforts Launa Zimmaro
Delaware: LWV study to extend pricing beyond RGGI Chad Tolman
What your League Can Do and Resources
Summarize key learnings
Actions to take
Discussion
Next steps

3. Why Price Carbon? Climate Change is Accelerating Price on Carbon
CO2 is at levels not seen for millions of years – far beyond human existence
Temperatures are increasing at accelerating rates
Impacts are also increasing at a serious rate
Price on Carbon  
Since 75-80% of CO2 emissions are from fossil fuels, reducing fossil fuel use will have a significant effect
Putting a price on carbon emissions will put the market to work to decrease demand, drive down emissions and grow innovations…
… while at the same time growing jobs.  

4. LWV Involvement 2014 LWVUS Convention Price on Carbon Resolution –
The LWVUS should support a price on carbon emissions that will increase in stages, as part of an overall program to improve energy efficiency and to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, fast enough to avoid serious damage to the climate system.
Approved overwhelmingly.

5. Steering Committee After the 2014 Convention . . .
Price on Carbon
After the 2014 Convention . . .
Price on Carbon Steering Committee
Diz Swift, Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, CA
Eleanor Revelle, Evanston, IL
Chad Tolman, New Castle County, DE
Launa Zimmaro, LWV-Massachusetts

6. Steering Committee Regular Conference Calls Price on Carbon website
Information Gathering
What Leagues are doing
Where action on carbon pricing is happening
Planning for an LWV Price on Carbon Coalition

7. Clean Power Plan
Price on Carbon
Establishes limits on CO2 emissions from power plants.
Sets an emissions-rate goal for each state
Best system of emissions reduction ‘building blocks’ –
Operate existing coal-fired plants more efficiently
Substitute increased generation from existing natural gas plants
Substitute increased generation from new clean energy sources
(solar, wind, nuclear, combined heat & power)

8. Clean Power Plan
Price on Carbon
CPP encourages states to incorporate market-based mechanisms, e.g., cap and trade program, or carbon tax/fee
CPP facilitates interstate compliance strategies.
 Allows states to make their plans “trade ready” but does not require complex interstate negotiations and agreements beforehand.
EPA will help implement multi-state trading (e.g., by tracking emissions, allowances, credits.)
Emissions trading: cost-effective way to meet state goal
Expectation: Most states will use interstate carbon markets to cut carbon emissions.

9. Clean Power Plan State Implementation Plans due September 2016
Price on Carbon
State Implementation Plans due September 2016
• Or, initial plan due September 2016, with 2-year extension request
Litigation makes deadlines uncertain
• October 2015 —
 27 states filed suit in D.C. District Court to block the CPP
Asked the court to stay the CPP while their suit is pending
• January 2016 — D.C. District Court declined to grant the stay
• February 2016 — U.S. Supreme Court stepped in, granted the stay
• Oral arguments scheduled for September 2016
• Decision expected late 2016-early 2017
• Whatever the decision, an appeal is likely
Many states still planning; others suspend planning