The Regional Targets Advisory Committee (RTAC), the committee created by SB 375 to advise the California Air Resources Board (ARB) how to set regional green house gas (GhG) emission targets, has released its report in time to meet its Sept. 30 statutory deadline.

The report recommends that ARB set a statewide per capita goal based on a 2005 base year. The committee believes that the per capita metric will allow fast and slow growing regions alike to reach a proportional amount of emissions reduction. RTAC, in setting 2005 as the base year, would allow regions that have adopted policies over the last four years to take credit for their actions.

Additional reports worth noting in the report include:

· The per capita metric to be set by ARB will be done through a process that involves extensive collaboration with the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).

· RTAC is also recommending a process for regions to seek a variance (of sorts) on the statewide metric if conditions suggest it is necessary.

· Although RTAC expects that all MPOs will use their transportation demand models to show some of the ways that GhG's will be used, the committee is also recommending the development of a non-exclusive list of accepted best management practices that regions can use to show how they will meet the targets.

ARB has yet to set the actual targets. It will consider RTAC's report at its November meeting. The draft targets are due to the regions by June 30, 2010 and will be made final be Sept. 30, 2010.