SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board today unveiled a redesigned on-line tool for the state’s largest facilities to report their greenhouse gas emissions.

The mandatory reporting tool builds on ARB’s existing reporting tool. The re-design was developed in close collaboration with the United States Environmental Protection Agency The new version aligns the two agencies’ systems, though some slight differences remain because of California’s emission reduction requirements.

ARB worked closely with U.S. EPA in redesigning the state reporting tool to reach the greatest consistency possible with federal emissions reports while achieving the goals of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32. The new system is called the California Electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool, or Cal e-GGRT.

”The harmonization of these two reporting systems is a key step in easing industry compliance with the requirements of AB 32,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “This redesign is also a good example of the collaboration between California and federal agencies toward the common goal of curbing climate change.”

Approximately 700 facilities and energy suppliers which release more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually will use Cal e-GGRT to report those emissions. These reports help the ARB set emission reduction requirements, including the “cap” for the cap-and-trade program, scheduled to begin its first compliance period January 1, 2013.

“The launch of the California Electronic Greenhouse Gas Reporting Tool is a clear example of EPA’s strong commitment to working with state governments to encourage consistent greenhouse gas emissions reporting for large facilities across the country,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

ARB staff is already working on the next phase of Cal e-GGRT development to allow even more consistency between the two jurisdictions.