PG&E's (voluntary) Carbon Tax.

PG&E won unanimous approval from the California Energy Commission yesterday for an innovative new program to involve customers directly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The new program, called "ClimateSmart" will take begin in the spring of 2007.

Not to sound cynical, but while this program sounds interesting on paper, it promises to be a boondoggle in execution. Here are the high (low?) points:

Customers who sign up for the program (it's voluntary) will receive a montly statement from PG&E telling them how many tons of carbon dioxide they were responsible for emitting into the atmosphere last month, based on their usage of electricity and natural gas (apparently "breathing" isn't included in the tally).

Customers will then be assessed a fee for those emissions that PG&E will use to plant trees that soak up carbon dioxide. A typical household will be assessed approximatley $4.31 per month and PG&E estimates that the program will take in $20 million.

According to published reports: "An average home generates about 5.3 tons of carbon dioxide a year, PG&E says, about the same as driving a Honda Civic for 15,000 miles."

Consumer activists are already blowing holes in the idea, noting that PG&E plans to spend the bulk of the money generated by the program, at least initially, on marketing, not planting trees.

Interesting program. Good thing there's no chance of fiscal mismanagement here.

How much do you pollute? [San Jose Mercury News]