California Lawmakers Eye Tightening Cap & Trade Amid Cost, Equity Fears

California lawmakers are beginning talks about potential updates to the state’s greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, amid pressure from environmentalists to tighten rules to reduce pollution in disadvantaged communities and warnings from analysts that certain changes could cause already high consumer energy costs to rise dramatically. “How should the state balance pursuing emissions reductions with potential cost impacts? This is something that we think is really important to consider,” testified Sarah Cornett, a fiscal and policy analyst with the state Legislative...