State greenhouse plan misguided, group says
Organization says global warming bill would hurt Illinois business
The leader of an Illinois environmental group says the proposal is needed and would help reduce emissions.
But Illinois Chamber of Commerce Energy Council Executive Director Tom Wolf calls the plan "a big mistake.""Greenhouse gasses can come from Iowa, China or Illinois," Wolf said. "This is an issue for Washington and not for Springfield."
Wolf said state-based legislation would invite companies to move to other states in search of less stringent carbon standards, drive other companies away that might locate and stunt the growth of companies already located in the state.
Wolf also said the reality of global warming is a matter of politics and not something the Illinois Chamber of Commerce takes a side on.
The proposal, introduced but not acted on in both the state House and Senate, would place limits on emissions as of Jan. 1, 2013. It would also lower those limits gradually to meet 1990 emission limits by 2020.
Credits for greenhouse gas pollution would be auctioned to polluters with revenue put into a fund for energy efficiency programs, job retraining and skills development, financial help for low-income families and low carbon technology development.
It includes a carbon cap based on 1990 greenhouse gas emissions by June 1, 2009, and a list of strategies to achieve those goals.
Wolf said that a federal cap and trade system would be much more effective because it would be applied equally to all in the country and that companies wouldn't have the incentive to bounce from state to state.
On the other side, Jonathan Goldman, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, said the proposal would be a definite move toward reducing harmful emissions in the state.
The Plan to Reduce Global Warming Pollution would also implement low-emission vehicle standards and requires a 25 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from cars by 2030. The bill also contains a phased-in-reduction in the amount of carbon permitted in Illinois motor fuels, reaching 10 percent by 2020.
In addition, it contains an efficient energy furnace plan, which would require all new residential furnaces to be 90 percent efficient within one year. The energy-efficient building code would establish state-wide energy efficiency standards by adopting the latest International Energy Conservation Code.
The energy-efficient building code would allow municipalities with existing residential efficiency codes that meet or surpass 2000 International Energy Code Standards to continue regulating efficiency under their codes and encourages the use of solar energy by disallowing residential deed restrictions prohibiting solar panels or devices for Illinois residencies.
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