The Economic Impact of AB 32 on Localities: A Look at Chula Vista

The study finds that AB 32 is expected to have a minimal economic impact on Chula Vista and similar California cities because energy expenditures constitute a small portion of local budgets. While clean energy policies may slightly increase energy prices, the direct and indirect costs are projected to be very low; for Chula Vista, the budget gap by 2020 could be covered by collecting $1.97 more per resident annually. The analysis notes that these findings are conservative, as they do not account for potential job creation from clean energy or the high costs of climate change adaptation if emissions are not reduced.

• AB 32 is projected to have a minimal impact on Chula Vista and other California cities because local governments are not energy-intensive, meaning energy costs are a small part of their total budgets.
• The direct and indirect economic effects of AB 32 on residents are expected to be negligible; in Chula Vista, the budget could be fully restored by 2020 by collecting just $1.97 more per resident per year.
• Under a business-as-usual scenario without AB 32, California energy prices are expected to rise significantly over a decade: electricity by 43 percent, transportation fuel by 58 percent, and natural gas by 71 percent.
• In Chula Vista, energy spending is currently about 1.7 percent of revenue; by 2020, this is projected to rise to 2.1 percent under a business-as-usual scenario with energy efficiency, and to 2.3 percent if AB 32 policies are implemented.
• The study's findings are conservative because they exclude potential economic gains from new clean energy businesses and jobs, as well as the potential high costs of adapting to climate change impacts like sea level rise and increased heat.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2010). The Economic Impact of AB 32 on Localities: A Look at Chula Vista. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/economic-impact-of-ab32-on-cities-exec-summary%5B1%5D.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The Economic Impact of AB 32 on Localities: A Look at Chula Vista. 2010. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/economic-impact-of-ab32-on-cities-exec-summary%5B1%5D.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The Economic Impact of AB 32 on Localities: A Look at Chula Vista |date=December 2010 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/economic-impact-of-ab32-on-cities-exec-summary%5B1%5D.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2010economic, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The Economic Impact of AB 32 on Localities: A Look at Chula Vista}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2010}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/economic-impact-of-ab32-on-cities-exec-summary%5B1%5D.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }