Gov. Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on WCI Regional Plan to Reduce Emissions, Spur Clean-Energy Economy

Statement

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) released its regional plan to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, protect public health and build a clean energy economy:

"California is leading the way in enacting policies and programs that combat climate change, grow our green economy and reduce our dependency on oil. And we have seen our policies successfully spur investment in clean energy and create green jobs faster than any other sector. Just today, the world's largest wind energy project held a groundbreaking in our state that will create clean electricity and thousands of jobs for Californians.

"Action continues to be needed at the national and international levels to address clean energy and climate change, but California and the rest of the Western Climate Initiative partners are not waiting to take action. Today's announcement is an important step forward for the entire Western Region in transitioning to a green economy that will reduce our dependency on oil, increase our energy security and create jobs and investment now."

The WCI regional plan is a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Western Region and spur a clean energy economy. It lays the groundwork for a regional cap-and-trade program and other strategies to achieve emissions reductions, increase renewable development and lower energy costs.

The WCI was launched in February 2007 by the governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington to develop regional strategies to address climate change. The initiative expanded to include the states of Montana and Utah, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The partners set a regional goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

When implemented, the WCI program will be the most comprehensive carbon-reduction strategy adopted anywhere in the world. It is "economy-wide," meaning that all sectors -- energy, industry and transportation -- participate in addressing climate change as well as receive the economic benefits. Together, the seven states and four provinces that make up the WCI represent over 20 percent of the U.S. economy and 70 percent of the Canadian economy.

For a copy of the detailed program design or for more information on the WCI visit www.westernclimateinitiative.org/news-and-updates. To read more on today's groundbreaking of the world's largest wind energy project, the Alta Wind Energy Center, in Tehachapi click here.

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