California Air Resources Board began to auction permits for greenhouse gas emissions on Wednesday

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- California has begun auctioning permits for greenhouse gas emissions, launching what is expected to be the world's second-largest carbon market.

   The California Air Resources Board says it began selling pollution "allowances" for the first time Wednesday as planned, in a closed, online auction.

   The board says the results of the auction -- what price was paid for a ton of carbon, and how many companies participated -- will be released Nov. 19.

   The cap-and-trade plan is a central piece of the state's 2006 global warming law, AB32, a suite of regulations meant to dramatically reduce the state's emissions of heat-trapping gases.

   The auction occurred despite a last-minute lawsuit from the California Chamber of Commerce, which has argued the program should be invalidated as an illegal tax.