FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Fresno City Council members spoke at length on Thursday about a state mandate, designed to reduce carbon emissions, that developers warn could increase costs for new home buyers.

In 2013, SB 743 established a new way to measure the pollution caused by cars' carbon emissions, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), whereas in the past, Levels of Service (LOS) was the measurement used.

LOS was used to look at the congestion of cars traveling in a given area; the shift to VMT made it so that carbon emissions were instead measured by how far people were driving.

According to a presentation by City of Fresno staff, SB 743's new standard would force development projects, transportation projects, general plans and even specific plans to consider VMT.

In the presentation, of

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