Permits to emit greenhouse gases in California hit a new high at the most recent quarterly auction:
During August’s auction, every emission permit offered by the state was sold, and prices reached their highest level since the program launched five years ago. The auction results, announced Tuesday, were the first since Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation continuing cap and trade until 2030, erasing some of the political and legal uncertainty that had dogged the program.
….Even though the cost of permits has been rising, it may not happen fast enough to provide an adequate financial incentive for companies to clean up their operations, said Danny Cullenward, a Stanford University energy economist. State regulators should take steps to ensure they’re auctioning the right number of permits because making too many available could allow too many emissions, he said.
It’s a start.
