For Immediate Release
Contact: Scott Hauge, President & Founder, Small Business California, 415-680-2109
 

New Anti-AB 32 Report Ignores Benefits to Small Business;
Assumes No Innovation in California

San Francisco, CA (July 14, 2009) –The California Small Business Roundtable (CSBR) released a report yesterday criticizing California’s Clean Energy and Climate Security plan.  Using a model to project costs, the authors do not account for potential savings and fail to include any demand side response such as innovation or reduced energy use.
 
The following is a statement by Scott Hauge, President and Founder of Small Business California:

“While it is critical that the interests of California’s small businesses are prioritized as the state moves to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and promote a clean energy future, flawed studies such as that released by CSBR, do not help to protect our interests. The study completely ignores the well-known economic benefits of energy efficiency, assumes California – the land of innovation – will never innovate, and arrives at unfounded conclusions that undermine its credibility.
 
“While AB32 may not be a perfect instrument, delay would prompt unacceptable costs for small businesses in the future. Furthermore, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will reduce overall waste, which can lower business costs and bolster bottom lines. Reducing our dependence on out-of-state sources of energy will keep more money in the California economy. In addition, AB 32 has the potential to help California’s small businesses by spurring innovation, creating new industries, and increasing job potential for many existing businesses.
 
“California has a choice. We can either stall now and panic later because of runaway costs of increasingly scarce and expensive fossil fuels as well as the expensive impacts of climate change; Or we can begin now to use energy more efficiently and capitalize on our state’s leadership position to put California businesses at a competitive advantage in a new global clean energy economy.”
 
 

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Small Business California is a proactive, non-partisan business advocacy organization whose only agenda is the well being of California small businesses. SB-Cal advocates for more than 4,000 small businesses in California. Find out more at www.smallbusinesscalifornia.org <http://www.smallbusinesscalifornia.org> .