Environmentalists praised the blueprint as "an economic stimulus plan" that could spur a "clean tech" economy similar to Silicon Valley's technological boom. Venture capital investment in alternative energy companies has soared in the last two years.
But some environmentalists said the plan did not go far enough in cracking down on sprawl.
"We can't afford another 10 years of business-as-usual land-use planning," said Audrey Chang, California climate director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Environmentalists also criticized the design of a cap-and-trade plan, which would allow some industries broad flexibility in meeting targets. Under the auspices of a Western trading plan that would include six other states and four Canadian provinces, California would give away as much as 90% of industry pollution permits for these industries, rather than auctioning them. That, said economist Christopher Busch of the Union of Concerned Scientists, "would generate windfall profits for polluters and enrich out-of-state corporate shareholders."
The state's trading program also would allow up to 49% of the emission reductions from some industries to be "offset" by purchasing credits from pollution-cutting programs out of state. Angela Johnson Meszaros, co-chair of the board's Environmental Justice Committee, said that provision would export jobs and allow California factories to escape stricter clean-up rules.
"This plan does not put the health and welfare of California residents first," she said.
Opponents on all sides will have more chances to weigh in. Complex regulations to implement the plan, such as one to reduce the carbon content of fuels, will be debated over the next dozen years.
Meanwhile, the state's 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, which gave rise to the plan, has inspired emission limits in five states: Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts and Hawaii. More than a dozen other states have adopted or are considering greenhouse gas reduction goals.
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margot.roosevelt@latimes.com
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Cleaner, greener
The California Air Resources Board has released its blueprint to bring the state's emission of greenhouse gases down to 1990 levels by 2020. Here is where it hopes to make the cuts, in million metric tons:
* Clean car standards: 31.7
* Energy efficiency, appliances and green buildings: 26.3
* Utilities switch to more renewable energy: 21.3
* Low-carbon fuel standard: 15
* Measures to control high-warming gases: 20.2
* Sustainable forests: 5
* Vehicle efficiency measures: 4.5
* Goods movement, including port restrictions: 3.7
* Heavy/medium-duty vehicles: 1.4
* California solar program: 2.1
* Local government and land use: 5
* High-speed rail: 1
* Recycling and waste: 1
* Industrial measures: 1.4
* Additional reductions from cap-and-trade transactions: 34.4
* Total: 174
Source: Air Resources Board
