TARGET 2030: TOP FOUR CLIMATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA

Energy Innovation proposes a post-2020 policy framework for California centered on a 2030 statewide carbon cap of 40 percent below 1990 levels. The recommendations include decarbonizing the electricity sector through carbon standards and a 50 percent renewable energy target, expanding transportation policies via the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and vehicle electrification, and establishing global benchmarks for methane emission standards in oil and gas operations.

• To align with 2050 goals, the authors recommend establishing a 2030 statewide carbon cap that is 40 percent below 1990 emissions levels, utilizing the existing cap-and-trade program as a backstop for sectoral policies.
• For the electricity sector, the brief suggests a 2030 carbon target based on either intensity (393 pounds of CO2e per megawatt-hour) or mass (48.9 million metric tons of CO2e), supported by a 50 percent renewable energy target that includes publicly-owned utilities.
• Electricity demand should be managed by replacing current efficiency incentives with a kilowatt-hour per capita standard targeting a 1.2 percent annual reduction in per capita sales, while considering mandated building upgrades by 2025 if voluntary progress is insufficient.
• Transportation recommendations include extending Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) targets through 2030 with a cost containment trigger price of $200/ton of CO2e, increasing Zero Emission Vehicle mandates, and implementing heavy-duty vehicle tailpipe standards for 2018-2025.
• The document advises California to set global benchmarks for methane emissions by requiring cost-effective measures to stop leakage in oil and gas operations and utilizing mobile air sampling devices for inventory accuracy.

APA

BUSCH, C., HARVEY, H., AGGARWAL, S., GIMON, E., ORVIS, R., & O’BOYLE, M. (2015). TARGET 2030: TOP FOUR CLIMATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top4CA_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

BUSCH, CHRIS, HAL HARVEY, SONIA AGGARWAL, ERIC GIMON, ROBBIE ORVIS, and MICHAEL O’BOYLE. TARGET 2030: TOP FOUR CLIMATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA. Energy Innovation, 2015. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top4CA_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BUSCH |first1=CHRIS |last2=HARVEY |first2=HAL |last3=AGGARWAL |first3=SONIA |last4=GIMON |first4=ERIC |last5=ORVIS |first5=ROBBIE |last6=O’BOYLE |first6=MICHAEL |title=TARGET 2030: TOP FOUR CLIMATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=March 2015 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top4CA_FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{busch2015target, author = {BUSCH, CHRIS and HARVEY, HAL and AGGARWAL, SONIA and GIMON, ERIC and ORVIS, ROBBIE and O’BOYLE, MICHAEL}, title = {{TARGET 2030: TOP FOUR CLIMATE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Top4CA_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }