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The report concludes that AB 32 will have a minimal economic impact on the City of Chula Vista and similar California municipalities. Direct energy cost increases are projected to be small, with the 'Conservative case' estimating that the budget could be restored by collecting just $1.97 more per resident annually by 2020. Indirect macroeconomic effects, including changes in employment and output, are estimated to be less than 1%. The authors argue that these impacts are negligible compared to the budget shocks caused by the 2007 economic downturn and the potential long-term costs of climate change inaction.

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.