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California Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Initiative (2022)
| California Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic Energy | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Initiative (#21-0028) was not on the ballot in California as an initiated state statute on November 8, 2022.
The ballot initiative would have phased out the extraction of oil and gas by 2045 and prohibited fossil fuels by 2050. The ballot initiative would have also prohibited fracking beginning on May 1, 2023..[1]
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:[2]
| “ |
Prohibits Fracking and Phases Out Use of Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal. Initiative Statute.[3] |
” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ |
As of May 1, 2023, prohibits hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and other processes used to increase oil and gas well production. Prohibits oil and gas extraction within “health protection zones,” including near hospitals, residential areas, or schools. Prohibits authorization of new oil and gas well operators; and, starting in 2025, prohibits new wells. Limits amounts that may be extracted from existing wells, with allowed amounts phasing out to zero by 2045. Starting in 2025, prohibits government agencies from using coal. Prohibits any use of fossil fuels starting in 2050.[3] |
” |
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact statement was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Likely decrease in state tax and fee revenues over time that could reach several hundred million dollars annually, primarily from reduced state income tax and sales tax paid by oil and gas extraction businesses, their employees, and others with jobs induced by the oil and gas industry. Decreased local tax and fee revenues over time that could reach several hundred million dollars annually, including lower property assessment revenues from parcels with oil and gas deposits, as well as lower royalties from oil and gas production. Increased one-time state costs and cost pressures potentially totaling more than ten billion dollars over the next few decades to plug abandoned wells and compensate oil and gas companies for the reduction in value. Unknown fiscal effects from the prohibition on the consumption of fossil fuels that could range from relatively minor to substantial reductions in state and local revenues depending on several factors, including economic, policy, and technological changes.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in California
In California, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Petitions are allowed to circulate for 180 days from the date the attorney general prepares the petition language. Signatures need to be certified at least 131 days before the general election. As the verification process can take multiple months, the secretary of state provides suggested deadlines for ballot initiatives.
The requirements to get initiated state statutes certified for the 2022 ballot:
- Signatures: 623,212 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was 131 days before the general election, which was around June 30, 2022. However, the process of verifying signatures can take multiple months and proponents are recommended to file signatures at least two months before the verification deadline.
Signatures are first filed with local election officials, who determine the total number of signatures submitted. If the total number is equal to at least 100 percent of the required signatures, then local election officials perform a random check of signatures submitted in their counties. If the random sample estimates that more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, the initiative is eligible for the ballot. If the random sample estimates that between 95 and 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, a full check of signatures is done to determine the total number of valid signatures. If less than 95 percent are estimated to be valid, the initiative does not make the ballot.
Initiative #21-0028
Kamyar Feiz filed the ballot initiative on October 4, 2021.[4] The Attorney General of California issued ballot language for the initiative on December 8, 2021, allowing a signature drive to begin. Signatures were due on June 6, 2022.
On June 21, 2022, the secretary of state reported that the initiative did not make the ballot.[2]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Attorney General, "Initiative 21-0028," October 4, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed December 10, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Initiatives," accessed October 10, 2021
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