Greenhouse Gas Emissions

On this page:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Come From a Wide Variety of Sources

(Click on the image to enlarge)

State Met 2020 GHG Goal Early, but 2030 Goal More Ambitious

Electricity Is Biggest Driver of Emission Reductions So Far

Major Policies to Meet Statewide Greenhouse Gas Limits

	*Cap‑and‑Trade.* Regulation that establishes a “cap” on overall emissions from large emitters by issuing a limited number of permits (also known as allowances). Allowances can be bought and sold (traded), which creates a market price for allowances and an incentive for lowest cost reductions.
	*Short‑Lived Climate Pollutants.* Regulations and incentives intended to reduce certain types of emissions from dairies, landfills, and refrigeration equipment.
	*Renewable Portfolio Standard.* Regulations that require utilities to provide a certain percentage of electricity from qualifying renewable sources, such as wind and solar.
	*Energy Efficiency.* Regulations and financial incentives to encourage more efficient energy use in commercial buildings, homes, and manufacturing facilities.
	*Low Carbon Fuel Standard.* Regulation that requires transportation fuel suppliers to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases per unit of fuel used in California—also known as carbon intensity of fuels.
	*Vehicle‑Related Programs.* Regulations and incentives to encourage more efficient light‑ and heavy‑duty vehicles, as well as promote certain types of technologies such as electric vehicles.
	*Vehicle Miles Traveled.* Planning strategies and financial incentives intended to reduce the amount of light‑duty vehicle use through such things as increased transit and changes to land use.

Cap-and-Trade Regulation Ensures Emissions Do Not Exceed Limit

State Revenue From Cap-and-Trade Auctions

State Oversees Various Programs Designed to Reduce
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in Transportation Sector

Light‑Duty Vehicle Programs

Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. Rebate for purchase or lease of a new zero‑emission vehicle (ZEV).

Clean Cars 4 All. Rebate to retire an older, high emission vehicle and replace it with a newer zero or lower‑emission vehicle.

Single‑Occupant Vehicle Decals. Program that allows ZEV drivers to use the high‑occupancy lane even when containing only a single individual.

Clean Car Standards. Joint state and federal regulation requiring auto manufacturers to incrementally improve fuel efficiency and reduce GHG emissions from their vehicle fleets over time.

ZEV Mandate. State regulation requiring auto manufacturers to increase the number of ZEVs sold in the state.

Public ZEV Infrastructure Funding. Funding to support the installation of public electric vehicle recharging and hydrogen refueling stations.

Heavy‑Duty Vehicle Incentives

Demonstrations and Pilots. Grants for technologies and equipment that are not yet commercially available.

Programs for Early Commercial Deployment. Incentives for technologies that have passed the pilot stage and commercial models are starting to become available.

Programs Focused on Local Pollution Reductions. Programs primarily focused on reducing near‑term reductions in local emissions, such as incentives for vehicle replacements.

ZEV Fueling Infrastructure. Programs that fund infrastructure for heavy‑duty vehicle charging and refueling stations.

Low Carbon Fuels

Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Regulation requiring reductions in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.

Vehicle Miles Traveled

SB 375. 2008 legislation requiring regional transportation planning agencies to create plans to reducing light‑duty vehicle miles traveled.

Summary of Major Policies to Reduce Emissions From Electricity Generation

Policy or Program	Year Implemented	Description
SB 100	2018	Renewable and zero-carbon resources must supply 100 percent of all retail sales in California by 2045.
Cap‑and‑trade	2013	Beginning in 2013, electricity generators and importers required to obtain an allowance or offset to cover each ton of GHG emitted. Program includes other emitters outside of the electricity sector, and entities can buy and sell allowances.
California Solar Initiative	2007	$2.7 billion over a ten‑year period for financial incentives to reduce the cost of installing distributed solar, such as rooftop solar PV.
Emissions Performance Standard (SB 1368)	2007	Effectively prohibits LSEs from signing or extending long‑term contracts with coal power plants.
Renewable Portfolio Standard	2003	Requires LSEs to generate a minimum percent of retail electricity from qualifying renewable sources. Percentages increase over time from 20 percent in 2010 to 60 percent in 2030.
Net Energy Metering	1996	Program that encourages customers to install distributed solar generation by paying them a retail electricity rate for the electricity they generate.
LSE = Load serving entity; PV = photovoltaic; SB 1368 = Chapter 598 of 2006 (SB 1368, Perata); and GHG = greenhouse gas.

Electricity Generation Has Been Relatively Steady, but Emissions Intensity Has Declined Substantially