Governor Signs Bill on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a California Chamber of Commerce-supported bill that will improve accessibility of Greenhouse Gas Fund-eligible projects.

The bill, AB 1237 (Aguiar-Curry; D-Winters), improves accessibility to Greenhouse Gas Fund-eligible projects and ensures transparency by requiring that each agency clearly post on its website eligibility criteria, application timelines, information on technical assistance, and contact information.

California’s industry-leading cap-and-trade auction has generated more than $8 billion in funding to state agencies for emission reduction programs and projects. AB 1237 builds on AB 398 (E. Garcia; D-Coachella; Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017), which established spending priorities, but left the agencies with flexibility in how to determine appropriate projects.

Increased transparency and accessibility is consistent with AB 398’s mandate and benefits all members of the public.

Staff Contact: Leah Silverthorn

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Leah B. Silverthorn served as a CalChamber policy advocate from May 2018 to February 2022. She specialized in climate change, air quality, energy, environmental justice, marijuana/cannabis, and transportation and infrastructure issues. She brought to the CalChamber more than a decade of legal experience in environmental, energy, and land use matters. Immediately before coming to CalChamber, she was the principal owner of Silverthorn Legal, based in Seattle, Washington. She focused on environmental litigation, contaminated property redevelopment, and environmental cost recovery and defense. She is an honors graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, with a B.S. in public affairs and environmental management. She earned her J.D., with honors, at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law, where she was articles editor for the Indiana International and Comparative Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board.