Update on San Francisco Case Halting AB32: Judge makes final his ruling to put California’s greenhouse gas bill on hold

Last month, we reported on the tentative ruling issued by a San Francisco Superior Court judge calling into question the fate of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (better known as AB32). 

Well, last week, Judge Ernest Goldsmith affirmed that ruling. His final order halts implementation of AB32 because the California Air Resources Board violated CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) by failing to adequately consider certain alternatives to the cap-and-trade system CARB was set to implement. But, all you AB32 fans out there, don’t you worry your pretty little heads!! The ruling does not completely dispose of the law – it simply requires that CARB follow CEQA’s (mainly procedural) rules before they can progress to implementation of the law. CARB has said it will appeal the decision.