Dist. 3 County Supervisor, Dawn Ortiz-Legg has been nominated to serve on the California Air Resources Board.
One San Luis Obispo County Supervisor will soon be walking in rarified air after being appointed to the powerful California Air Resources Board (CARB).
The County on Feb. 25 announced that Dist. 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg was appointed to the CARB by Gov. Gavin Newsom, claiming, “This appointment underscores her leadership in environmental policy and commitment to practical and sustainable energy solutions.”
The CARB seat will add to Ortiz-Legg’s considerable workload. “Supervisor Ortiz-Legg,” the news release said, “currently serves as the Chair of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, Chair of the Latino Caucus of California Counties and serves on the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District Board.”
As a County Supervisor she also serves on the Flood Control District, the Local Agency Formation Commission; the Waste Management Authority; County Air Pollution Control District; and the Council of Governments, among other duties, like serving constituents’ needs.
Ortiz-Legg was appointed to the Dist. 3 seat in 2020 following the death of former Dist. 3 Supervisor Adam Hill. She ran for election in the 2022 General Election, narrowly winning the 2-year seat in a 3-way contest. She ran for a full 4-year term in 2024, this time unopposed except for a weak and ultimately allegedly illegal write-in candidate (her opponent was later charged with suspicion of election fraud), so Ortiz-Legg walked into a full term essentially unopposed.
Ortiz-Legg’s appointment to CARB is in keeping with other environmental work.
“Her extensive experience in energy policy,” reads the release, “including her tenure as a Right of Way Agent at Pacific Gas and Electric Company and as a Project Manager & Public Affairs Liaison at First Solar, uniquely positions her to contribute to CARB’s mission of reducing air pollution and combating climate change.”
Locally, Ortiz-Legg has been a supporter of the Offshore Floating Wind Energy Projects being planned for a patch of ocean 30-miles off San Simeon. She’s also supported building a “wind port” in SLO County, with Morro Bay, Diablo Canyon and Port San Luis currently in the running.
She has also expressed support for the proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project proposed for the long-closed Morro Bay Power Plant property.
“Since taking office as Third District Supervisor in 2020,” the release said, “she has championed initiatives focused on clean energy, climate resilience, and air quality improvements.”
Supervisor Ortiz-Legg said she is honored to sit on the CARB. “I am honored to join the California Air Resources Board and contribute to the state’s ambitious air quality goals. As we transition to a clean energy future, it is crucial to ensure that all communities, including those in San Luis Obispo County, benefit from common sense policies that promote sustainability and economic growth while protecting our most vulnerable populations.”
It’s SLO County’s first foray into the CARB’s governing board. CARB is a State Agency formed in the 1970s by the California Clean Air Act, and originally dealing with air pollution issues. The Clean Air Act also led to the creation of the bureaucratic system of localized County Air Pollution Control Districts, which include all five members of the Board of Supervisors.
In recent years CARB has become the standard bearer in California’s fight against climate change, handing down edicts on everything from electric vehicle mandates, to mandating the types of diesel engines that must be installed in fishing boats, and even a call for all freight train locomotives to be replaced with electric engines.
“CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and air pollution control in California,” the County said, “setting and enforcing emissions standards to improve public health and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
“Supervisor Ortiz-Legg’s expertise in climate policy and community engagement will bring a valuable perspective to the board as it continues to implement groundbreaking initiatives to protect California’s air quality and advance environmental equity.”
If the State Senate confirms her, she would become the first SLO County elected official to serve on a statewide regulatory board since the late Dist. 3 Supervisor Katcho Achadjian served on the Coastal Commission about 10-years ago.
Ortiz-Legg will not be paid a salary for her work on CARB; however, expenses that she incurs — from travel to lodging and meals — would be paid for by taxpayers.
