Costly as it may seem, California's mandate to cut climate-altering exhausts from vehicles and industry by nearly one-third in the next 12 years actually will boost the economy, a state analysis released Wednesday predicts.
The improvements in fuel and energy efficiency and extra clean-technology jobs needed to achieve the required 30 percent emissions reduction would result in a net household savings of $400 to $500 a year and a net 0.2 percent or $4 billion gain in the total annual output of goods and services, according to the report.
"Our historic effort to deal with global warming will also have the benefit of saving businesses and families money because of savings from fuel efficiency and growth in jobs," said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state Air Resources Board, which prepared the study as part of its charge to implement the climate change law known as Assembly Bill 32.
Read the full story at sacbee.com.