Cal. HSC § 38562 — California Code / Code hsc / Division 25.5 / Part 4 / Section 38562
Section 38562
Status: in_force

[Amended (as amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 135, Sec. 4) by Stats. 2025, Ch. 117, Sec. 3.   (AB 1207)   Effective September 19, 2025.   Repealed as of January 1, 2046, by its own provisions.    See later operative version amended by Sec. 4 of Stats. 2025, Ch. 117.]
(a) The state board shall adopt greenhouse gas emissions limits and emissions reduction measures by regulation to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division.

(b) In adopting regulations pursuant to this section and Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570), to the extent feasible, to achieve the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division, the state board shall do all of the following:

(1) (A) Design the regulations, including distribution of emissions allowances where appropriate, in a manner that is equitable, seeks to minimize costs and maximize the total benefits to California, and encourages early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(B) (i) Design the regulations, including distribution of emissions allowances where appropriate, in a manner that transitions support from gas corporations to electrical distribution utilities, as defined in Section 95802 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, on or before January 1, 2031, to minimize ratepayer impacts and achieve the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division.

(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, “gas corporation” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code.

(iii) Except as provided in clause (i), this subparagraph shall not be construed to impact the distribution of emissions allowances to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industrial sectors.

(2) Ensure that activities undertaken to comply with the regulations do not disproportionately impact low-income communities.

(3) Ensure that entities that have voluntarily reduced their greenhouse gas emissions before the implementation of this section receive appropriate credit for early voluntary reductions.

(4) Ensure that activities undertaken pursuant to the regulations complement, and do not interfere with, efforts to achieve and maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards and to reduce toxic air contaminant emissions.

(5) Consider cost-effectiveness of these regulations.

(6) Consider overall societal benefits, including reductions in other air pollutants, diversification of energy sources, and other benefits to the economy, environment, and public health.

(7) Consider the effect of these regulations on affordability, cost effectiveness, minimization of leakage in California, and achieving the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division.

(8) Minimize the administrative burden of implementing and complying with these regulations.

(9) Minimize leakage.

(10) Consider the significance of the contribution of each source or category of sources to statewide emissions of greenhouse gases.

(c) (1) Unless otherwise required by context, terms in this subdivision shall have the definitions that apply pursuant to Section 95802 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, as they read on January 1, 2017.

(2) To achieve the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division, the state board shall adopt a regulation that establishes a system of market-based declining annual aggregate emissions limits for sources or categories of sources that emit greenhouse gases, applicable from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2045, inclusive, that the state board determines will achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in the aggregate, from those sources or categories of sources, and ensures that programwide aggregate emissions from covered sources, at a minimum, decline with the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566. In adopting a regulation applicable from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2045, inclusive, pursuant to this subdivision, the state board shall do all of the following:

(A) (i) Establish a price ceiling. In establishing the price ceiling, the state board shall consider, using the best available science, all of the following:

(I) The need to avoid adverse impacts on resident households, businesses, and the state’s economy.

(II) The 2020 tier prices of the allowance price containment reserve.

(III) The full social cost associated with emitting a metric ton of greenhouse gases.

(IV) The auction reserve price.

(V) The potential for environmental and economic leakage.

(VI) The cost per metric ton of greenhouse gas emissions reductions to achieve the statewide emissions targets established in Sections 38550 and 38566.

(ii) To implement the price ceiling, the state board shall develop a mechanism that consists of both of the following:

(I) Allowances remaining in the allowance price containment reserve as of December 31, 2020, shall be used solely for the purpose of sale at the price ceiling established by this section.

(II) If the allowances from the allowance price containment reserve are exhausted, the state board shall offer covered entities additional metric tons at the price ceiling if needed for compliance. Notwithstanding any other law, all moneys generated pursuant to this clause shall be deposited into the California Climate Mitigation Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. Moneys in that fund shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes, including, but not limited to, providing direct rebates and investments to reduce household energy costs, including incentives to transition to zero-emission vehicles and energy efficient housing.

(iii) If the state board finds that the price containment reserve or the price ceiling, or both the price containment reserve and price ceiling do not adequately protect California consumers, the state board shall consider additional actions to ensure consumers are protected. Those actions may include, but are not limited to, adjustment to the allowance price containment reserve or the price ceiling, or both the allowance price containment reserve and the price ceiling.

(B) Establish two price containment points at levels below the price ceiling. The state board shall offer to covered entities nontradable allowances for sale at these price containment points. The price containment points shall be established using two-thirds, divided equally, of the allowances in the allowance price containment reserve as of December 31, 2017.

(C) Require that current vintage allowances designated by the state board for auction that remain unsold in the auction holding account for more than 24 months to be transferred to the allowance price containment reserve.

(D) Evaluate and address concerns related to overallocation in the state board’s determination of the number of available allowances for years 2021 to 2030, inclusive, as appropriate.

(E) (i) Establish offset credit limits according to the following:

(I) From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2025, inclusive, a total of 4 percent of a covered entity’s compliance obligation may be met by surrendering offset credits of which no more than one-half may be sourced from projects that do not provide direct environmental benefits in state.

(II) From January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2045, inclusive, no greater than a total of 6 percent of a covered entity’s compliance obligation may be met by surrendering offset credits of which no more than one-half may be sourced from projects that do not provide direct environmental benefits in the state.

(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, “direct environmental benefits in the state” are the reduction or avoidance of emissions of any air pollutant in the state or the reduction or avoidance of any pollutant that could have an adverse impact on waters of the state.

(iii) A number of allowances equal to the total number of offset credits used for compliance obligations in the prior year shall be removed from the next year’s annual allowance budget and retired.

(F) Develop approaches to increase offset projects in the state considering guidance provided by the Compliance Offsets Protocol Task Force, established pursuant to Section 38591.1.

(G) Set industry assistance factors for allowance allocation commencing in 2021 through 2030 at the levels applicable in the compliance period of 2015 to 2017, inclusive. Commencing January 1, 2031, the state board shall distribute industrial sector allowances in a manner that minimizes emissions leakage risk to cost-effectively achieve the requirements of Sections 38562.2 and 38566 and the purposes of this division.

(H) Consider developing additional compliance offset protocols to address sectors that are not covered by the market-based compliance mechanism but are identified in the scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561, including carbon dioxide removal, or the targets established pursuant to Section 38561.5.

(I) Establish allowance banking rules that discourage speculation, avoid financial windfalls, and consider the impact on complying entities and volatility in the market.

(J) Report to the Legislature, by December 31, 2025, on the progress toward meeting the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets established pursuant to Sections 38550 and 38566 and the leakage risk posed by the regulation. The state board shall include recommendations to the Legislature on necessary statutory changes to the program to reduce leakage, including the potential for a border carbon adjustment, while maintaining the state’s ability to reach its targets.

(K) (i) Report to the Legislature, in consultation with the Independent Emissions Market Advisory Committee, established pursuant to Section 38591.2, if two consecutive auctions exceed the lower of the price containment levels established pursuant to subparagraph (B). The report shall assess the potential for allowance prices to reach the price ceiling for multiple auctions.

(ii) A report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(L) Report to the relevant fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature, including the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies, on all of the following:

(i) Updates to the scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561 before adopting the update.

(ii) Updates on the implementation of the scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561.

(iii) Updates on the implementation of the market-based compliance mechanism adopted pursuant to this subdivision.

(d) Any regulation adopted by the state board pursuant to this part or Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570) shall ensure all of the following:

(1) The greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved are real, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, and enforceable by the state board.

(2) For regulations pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570), the reduction is in addition to any greenhouse gas emission reduction otherwise required by law or regulation, and any other greenhouse gas emission reduction that otherwise would occur.

(3) If applicable, the greenhouse gas emission reduction occurs over the same time period and is equivalent in amount to any direct emission reduction required pursuant to this division.

(e) The state board shall rely upon the best available economic and scientific information and its assessment of existing and projected technological capabilities when adopting the regulations required by this section.

(f) The state board shall consult with the Public Utilities Commission in the development of the regulations as they affect electricity and natural gas providers in order to minimize duplicative or inconsistent regulatory requirements.

(g) The state board may revise regulations adopted pursuant to this section and adopt additional regulations to further the provisions of this division.

(h) In the updates to the scoping plan prepared pursuant to Section 38561, the state board shall include the progress toward meeting the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets established pursuant to Section 38562.2. The state board shall include recommendations to the Legislature on necessary statutory changes to the market-based compliance mechanism to further cost-effectively reduce emissions.

(i) The state board shall evaluate the cost impact of the market-based compliance mechanism on California consumers when it revises regulations implementing that mechanism pursuant to this section.

(j) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2046, and as of that date is repealed.

[Amended (as added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 135, Sec. 5) by Stats. 2025, Ch. 117, Sec. 4.   (AB 1207)   Effective September 19, 2025.   Section operative January 1, 2046, by its own provisions.]
(a) The state board shall adopt greenhouse gas emissions limits and emissions reduction measures by regulation to achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the purposes of this division.

(b) In adopting regulations pursuant to this section and Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570), to the extent feasible, to achieve the purposes of this division, the state board shall do all of the following:

(1) (A) Design the regulations, including distribution of emissions allowances where appropriate, in a manner that is equitable, seeks to minimize costs and maximize the total benefits to California, and encourages early action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(B) (i) Design the regulations, including distribution of emissions allowances where appropriate, in a manner that transitions support from gas corporations to electrical distribution utilities, as defined in Section 95802 of Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, on or before January 1, 2031, to minimize ratepayer impacts and achieve the purposes of this division.

(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, “gas corporation” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code.

(iii) Except as provided in clause (i), this subparagraph shall not be construed to impact the distribution of emissions allowances to emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industrial sectors.

(2) Ensure that activities undertaken to comply with the regulations do not disproportionately impact low-income communities.

(3) Ensure that entities that have voluntarily reduced their greenhouse gas emissions before the implementation of this section receive appropriate credit for early voluntary reductions.

(4) Ensure that activities undertaken pursuant to the regulations complement, and do not interfere with, efforts to achieve and maintain federal and state ambient air quality standards and to reduce toxic air contaminant emissions.

(5) Consider cost-effectiveness of these regulations.

(6) Consider overall societal benefits, including reductions in other air pollutants, diversification of energy sources, and other benefits to the economy, environment, and public health.

(7) Consider the effect of these regulations on affordability, cost-effectiveness, minimization of leakage in California, and achieving the purposes of this division.

(8) Minimize the administrative burden of implementing and complying with these regulations.

(9) Minimize leakage.

(10) Consider the significance of the contribution of each source or category of sources to statewide emissions of greenhouse gases.

(c) To achieve the purposes of this division, the state board shall adopt a regulation that establishes a system of market-based declining annual aggregate emissions limits for sources or categories of sources that emit greenhouse gases, applicable from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2045, inclusive, that the state board determines will achieve the maximum technologically feasible and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in the aggregate, from those sources or categories of sources, and ensures that programwide aggregate emissions from covered sources, at a minimum, decline in line with the purposes of this division.

(d) Any regulation adopted by the state board pursuant to this part or Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570) shall ensure all of the following:

(1) The greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved are real, permanent, quantifiable, verifiable, and enforceable by the state board.

(2) For regulations pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 38570), the reduction is in addition to any greenhouse gas emission reduction otherwise required by law or regulation, and any other greenhouse gas emission reduction that otherwise would occur.

(3) If applicable, the greenhouse gas emission reduction occurs over the same time period and is equivalent in amount to any direct emission reduction required pursuant to this division.

(e) The state board shall rely upon the best available economic and scientific information and its assessment of existing and projected technological capabilities when adopting the regulations required by this section.

(f) The state board shall consult with the Public Utilities Commission in the development of the regulations as they affect electricity and natural gas providers in order to minimize duplicative or inconsistent regulatory requirements.

(g) The state board may revise regulations adopted pursuant to this section and adopt additional regulations to further the provisions of this division.

(h) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2046.