CA Business Leaders Support AB32

2008-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

California Business Letter to ARB in Support of Proposed Scoping Plan

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger, Chairperson Mary Nichols and Members of the California Air Resources Board,

As California business leaders, we are writing to emphasize our strong support for the Proposed Scoping Plan. Together we represent large, small, and medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and investors from several regions in the state.

With global financial markets in turmoil and global warming emissions rising faster than the worst case projects of leading scientists, we are at a historic crossroads. Those who say we cannot afford to enact California's proposed policies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution do not understand this critical moment or the economic opportunities presented by moving from a twentieth century fossil fuel based economy to the twenty-first century economy that runs on clean, renewable energy.

By developing solar panels, electric panels and fuels, harnessing wind and solar power, creating biofuels, and making data center and building more energy efficient, companies will create jobs as they combat climate change. Additionally, saving energy boosts businesses' bottom line and puts money in consumers' pockets, money that is recycled into the California economy. A recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, reported that California's energy efficiency polices over the last 35 years have saved consumers $56 billion, created 1.5 million jobs and generated $46 billion in payroll.

California has been a leader in energy efficiency, and the Proposed Scoping Plan allows us to go even further. Improving California's efficiency 1% per year will expand the Gross State Product by approximately $76 billion dollars, will boost real household income by as much as $48 billion and will create as many as 403 thousand new jobs, according to the UC report. With policies designed to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy, to stimulate investment in clean technologies, and to create green jobs, the Proposed Scoping Plan helps make California companies more internationally competitive and less vulnerable to volatile fossil fuel prices.

We represent some of the best and most innovative leaders in technology and business. We keep California competitive in the world market by challenging the traditional players and practices, and by recognizing and seizing opportunities for change. The state's proposed plan fuels the entrepreneurial spirit that makes California a world economic leader. We must seize this precious opportunity to transform our energy infrastructure and retain the first mover advantage that AB 32 creates for us in the multi-billion dollar clean technology world market.

We urge you to adopt the Proposed Scoping Plan. We understand that the Proposed Scoping Plan provides the framework for meeting the 2020 and 2050 targets and that the specific details will be developed further during the rule making process. We look forward to working with ARB in 2009 to develop these details and to partner with you in creating California's clean energy economy.

Business Organizations, Companies, and Business Leaders

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group

The Central Valley Business Incubator

CleanTech San Diego

The Climate Group

Small Business California

TechNet

Large-Scale Solar Association

The California Wind Energy Association

The California Ski Industry

New Voice of Business

OptiSolar

Ausra

Bloom Energy

Green Volts, Inc.

ClearEdge Power

Tesla Motors

Fisker Automotive, Inc. (Plug-in hybrids)

Better Place (Electric Car Network)

BioFuel Box

Amyris Biotechnologies

Miartech Inc

Arup

Anderson Lithograph

Finelite

Conscious Ventures Group

Mendocino Wine Co.

Michael Wimer, Partner, Centropolis Entertainment

Samuel G. Perry, Ascendance Ventures

Shannon Devine, Fat Free Bio Fuel Refinery

Matt Sonefeldt, Capital World Investors/

The Capital Group

Steve Levin, President, Leading Change Consulting

John Domingos, The ROC Group

C. Gerron Vartan, President, Aegis Partners, Inc.

Robert Henrikson, Ronore Enterprises

Siamak Taromi, CEO, Tarom Group

Reade Frank, COO AngelPoints, Inc.

Owen Brown, Brown & Brown

Dan Beam, CEO, Beam, Inc.

Nick Freeman, Street Pizza, LLC

Ann Cleveland, TCHO Ventures, Inc.

Scott Bryan, Financial Consultant

Shripal Shah, S3; Sustainable Solutions Systems

Chris Erickson, CEO, Climate Earth, Inc.

Megan Curran, Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc.

Curtis Lindskog, Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc.

Lisa Chacon, Greenovation Consulting

Fabio Ficano, CEO Lufra Rise & Associates

Valarie Barish Williams, Nashira Coaching and Consulting

Suzanee Lossen, Macroscope Consulting

Gia Daniller, Daniller Consulting, Inc.

Buddy Burke, Republicans for Environmental Protection

Mike Zuckerman, Zen Compound/Temple Nightclub

Green Consultants

Creative Eco-Catalysists

Natural Logic

EcoStrategyGroup