Gov. Brown praises President Obama for new greenhouse gas rules

Reporting from Sacramento —  Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday welcomed President Obama’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and noted that California is ahead of the federal government in the effort.

Obama announced new rules that would result in more power generated by renewable sources, including wind and solar, by 2030, reducing power produced by coal from 40% to 27%.

“I welcome this bold and absolutely necessary carbon reduction plan,” Brown said in a statement. “California is fully engaged in tackling climate change, and we look forward to working with other states and the White House as we implement these new mandates.”

Brown’s office noted that California is already on track to exceed the president’s goals.

The governor issued an executive order earlier this year that would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, his office noted.

“A national policy would help us defend ourselves against opposition claims that businesses will move out of state for cheaper coal-fired electricity,” said state Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), a leading voice on climate change in the Legislature.

Pavley said opponents of California’s policy have argued that it is unimportant because the state’s emisions are a small percentage of the global total. “Now, with Obama’s announcement, the opposition from the coal companies will be that the United States is just a small part of world greenhouse gas emissions,” Pavley said. “Here we go again.”

[Updated at 2:40 p.m. to include comments by Sen. Fran Pavley]