Good news from Sacramento on the push to make California’s the strongest renewable goal in the country. The much-anticipated bill to increase our renewable energy requirement (RPS) to 33% has passed the Senate. Now we need the Assembly to do the same.
Because this policy sets the renewable target for California’ major utilities, it’s critical to continued solar development and job growth. For years now, California has tried and failed to pass legislation to raise the RPS to 33% renewables by 2020. We are left with the current law of 20% by 2010 and potentially reversible Executive Orders from former Governor Schwarzenegger that set the requirement at 33%. Having this pillar of California renewables standing on such tenuous legal ground is wreaking havoc on progress. The state’s two biggest utilities, PG+E and SCE, have already challenged their obligation to that higher goal because it’s not written in legislation. Not good.
But the new 2011 bill (SB 2X) is on the move, and it’s already looking strong. Its passage would support 13,000 megawatts of new renewables, enough to deliver power to 6 million homes and keep California at the forefront of the nation’s growing clean energy economy.
If you vote in California, click here to urge your assembly member to quickly pass SB 2X.
33% renewables is so close we can taste it.
Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.
