The intent of AB 222 was to expedite the introduction of a wide range of new technologies that recycle the carbon in organic wastes through the production of advanced biofuels, green power and other products. Among its goals were to remove from statute scientifically inaccurate definitions and repressive permitting pathways that have been driving biobased technology providers and investment capital away from California, and also to qualify the biogenic portion of solid waste as a feedstock under the RPS and to enable jurisdictions to count solid waste diverted for processing by these technologies as landfill reduction.
In June, 2010, the five Democrats on the Senate Environmental Quality Committee yielded to "environmental" opposition orchestrated by lobbyists for the traditional waste industry, and stripped the bill of its RPS and landfill reduction provisions--the two major elements necessary to finance the construction of these projects. During the following week, the Committee's staff published further amendments that would have made it even more difficult to permit and operate these facilities than it is under existing statute.
In so doing, the Committee swept aside more than 100 statewide endorsements of AB 222, including those of the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board and CalRecycle--also ignoring bi-partisan support that the bill had received in the Assembly Utilities & Commerce Committee (11-0), the Assembly itself (54-13) and the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee (6-1). If the bill had been approved by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee in the form in which it reached this committee, its passage by the full Senate and approval by the Governor appeared certain.
In cooperation with the three regulatory agencies that endorsed this legislation, numerous attempts were made to negotiate with the Committee, but to no avail. The bill's sponsors and supporters had no alternative but to abandon the legislation.
In 2010, we endured a massive oil spill in the Gulf--likely the most devastating environmental disaster in our history. We are spending in excess of $300 billion annually to import petroleum, a meaningful portion of which is finding its way to organizations whose goals are to destroy this nation’s value system, its economy and way of life. We are involved in two wars in the Middle East and are spending additional billions of dollars each year to protect our access to that region's petroleum resources. All this, while we are seeking constructive ways to improve our environment and economy, and provide employment and low-cost biofuels here at home.
Our legislators should be encouraging the development of every technology available to help in achieving national security, energy independence and an improved environment. Unfortunately, for the past six years, that has not been the case for the state's Democrat-controlled environmental committees.
The BioEnergy Producers Association will continue to support the cause of renewable energy both in California and nationally. It is now assessing other strategies and pathways to move these technologies forward.
©2010 BioEnergy Producers Association
