Arnold Schwarzenegger joined Gov. Gavin Newsom at the California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Oct. 14 to mark the 20th anniversary of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, with a panel on the law’s economic and clean-energy impacts.
The session, billed by organizers and reported from the Summit, listed Schwarzenegger alongside authors of AB 32 and State Senate leaders for a breakout conversation titled “AB 32 and Its Continued Relevance” at the Long Beach Convention Center.
At the fireside chat, Gavin Newsom credited Schwarzenegger’s signing of AB 32 with creating California’s cap-and-invest program and said the state has reinvested about $16 billion to offset energy costs for residents and expects roughly $8 billion more over the next four years, according to reporting from the event.
The Markets Insider press release for the Summit listed the event schedule and speakers, noting the panel would include AB 32 authors Fabián Núñez and Fran Pavley and a presentation of a Next 10 report on the law’s 20-year impacts. That release identified the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center as the venue.
Schwarzenegger and Newsom framed the anniversary as both an environmental and economic story, arguing during the conversation that California’s climate policies have helped create market predictability for clean-technology investment and jobs. The OC Register report said Kate Gordon of California Forward moderated the discussion.
The OC Register account also recounted past legal obstacles the state faced implementing AB 32, including a 2007 lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to secure waivers that allowed California to adopt stricter standards, and noted Newsom last year extended the cap-and-invest program through 2045.
For readers following California politics and the governor, the Summit appearance underscored Newsom’s continued emphasis on climate policy as an economic platform; his recent statements on future political plans are available in related coverage here.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role at the Summit was presented as a convening, not a new policy announcement: organizers described the session as a look back at AB 32’s effects and a discussion of next steps for resilience, workforce and infrastructure tied to California’s clean-energy transition.
Sources
- Markets Insider — press release listing the Long Beach session, speakers and schedule.
- Orange County Register — on-the-ground reporting of the fireside chat, quotes and program details including the $16 billion reinvestment figure.
