Newsom taps new head of powerful air board
SACRAMENTO » California Gov. Gavin Newsom tapped a veteran regulator Wednesday as the next chair of the powerful Air Resources Board, which implements the state’s ambitious climate change goals.
Liane Randolph, 55, will begin the job in January. She takes over for Mary Nichols, who is termed out after leading the board since 2007 and under consideration to lead the Environmental Protection Agency under Presidentelect Joe Biden.
Leading the California Air Resources Board is an influential job, if one not known to many members of the public.
Under Nichols’ leadership, the board has helped set national standards on tailpipe emissions, which dictate gas mileage, and battled with Washington as the Trump administration tried to roll back those rules.
Randolph is a current commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates electric, natural gas and water utilities, telecommunications and transportation companies including Uber and Lyft.
She previously worked in the California Natural Resources Agency and chaired the Fair Political Practices Commission, which oversees and enforces California’s campaign finance and political ethics laws.
At the air board, she’ll be charged with overseeing some of California’s ambitious plans to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and regulate air pollution.
Those goals include achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045 and halting the sale of new gaspowered passenger vehicles by 2035.
The air board also oversees implementation the state’s cap-and-trade program, which regulates emissions by selling credits to pollute.
“Cleaner air is essential for California’s families and Liane Randolph is the kind of bold, innovative leader that will lead in our fight against climate change with equity and all California’s communities at heart,” Newsom said in a statement.
Randolph was not made available for an interview about her vision for the board but said in an emailed statement she is excited and honored to join the board.