What They’re Saying About SB 14
California’s legislature has passed Joe’s SB 14, which would get California to 33% renewable energy by the year 2020.
Now the bill awaits the Governor’s signature. Here’s what leaders across the state are saying:
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa:
“Senator Simitian’s bill puts California on record as endorsing Los Angeles’ effort to become the greenest big city in America. With a state mandate for renewable energy, L.A. will lead the way as we achieve our promise of a coal-free power supply by 2020, saving our environment, cleaning our air, and creating the green jobs of tomorrow.”
Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO/President Carl Guardino:
“Since clean and green energy is essential for the environment and for the future of the Silicon Valley economy, we support Sen. Joe Simitian’s SB 14, requiring 33 percent of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020.”
SMUD Assistant General Manager Jim Shetler (Sacramento Bee 8/24/09):
“We’re not saying renewables won’t get developed in California; we just need the flexibility to look for power out of state as well.”
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (Support letter 8/31/09):
“We agree with you that significantly increasing the amount of new renewable energy resources into California’s energy supply is a necessary measure to achieve direct reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and permanently decrease our state’s carbon footprint.”
Sempra Energy (Support letter 9/8/09):
“Sempra Energy supports increasing the state’s reliance on renewable energy and believes a properly structured, universally applied 33 percent RPS mandate with fair and practical rules can achieve for California important environmental benefits (including GHG reduction); diversification of energy resources; and economic development opportunities.”
PG&E (Support letter 9/10/09):
“Recent amendments provide market opportunities throughout the western region while providing an incentive to develop resources in California. In addition, California customers should have the opportunity to obtain the venefits of further expanding the renewables market.”
Vote Solar Initiative (Support letter 9/9/09):
“A strong RPS is crucial to the state achieving its greenhouse gas reduction goals under AB 32, in addition to displacing new fossil plants in areas with the most impaired air quality, diversifying our energy supplies to insulate ratepayers from natural gas price swings, and providing a much-needed stimulus to our green tech economy by providing valuable new green jobs.”
Union of Concerned Scientists (Support letter 9/8/09):
“Despite the challenges of designing such a complex law, the passage of a 33 percent RPS by 2020 offers an important opportunity to benefit California’s economy, environment and ratepayers.”
American Lung Association (Support letter 9/8/09):
“California has the worst air quality in the country and communities throughout the state are already suffering from high rates of asthma and other lung illnesses from dirty air. Air pollution stemming from our existing fossil-fuel based electricity infrastructure has created longstanding health impacts, especially given that these facilities are often sited in low-income communities of color. A strong 33% RPS goal and steadily increasing levels of renewable energy resources are critical steps to reach greenhouse gas reduction targets and achieve air quality and health benefits.”
Breathe California (Support letter 9/2/09):
“The renewable energy potential in and near California is estimated to far exceed the current statewide maximum demand for electric generating capacity around 60,000 MW’s according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission (CEC). This presents a tremendous opportunity to create green-collar jobs, address California’s air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.”
Environment California Bernadette Del Chiaro (9/12/09):
“California must act now and swiftly to shift toward a clean energy future. Leaving it up to the state’s electric utilities to shift away from fossil fuels is fool-hardy. And waiting another year cheats California of the tremendous clean air and green job benefits that come from an immediate investment in renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power.”
Apollo Alliance (Support letter 7/13/09):
“Increasing California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard will yield significant environmental, social and economic benefits, and help shield the State’s economy from the price spikes of the volatile fossil fuel market. Getting more power from renewable resources will help stabilize prices and make California more energy self-reliant.”
TURN (Support letter 8/28/09):
“The proposed modifications to the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) program represent a reasonable set of conditions and appropriate guidance to move the state towards a 33% reasonable energy portfolio… SB 14 strikes the right balance between various stakeholders by focusing obligated entities and oversight agencies on the critical tasks that will result in the rapid development of new cost –effective renewable resources in California.”
Los Angeles Times (Editorial 8/19/09):
“Currently, investor owned utilities in California are required to obtain 20% of their power from renewable sources by the end of 2010. That’s a good start, but it doesn’t go far enough. The state is under a mandate to cut its greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020, and in order to accomplish that, it must get at lease a third of its electricity from clean sources, according to the Air Resources Board. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Democrat in the Legislature who doesn’t embrace the 33% by 2020 goal, along with Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Public Utilities Commission, the green lobby and, according to polls, the state’s voters. So why is it so hard to accomplish politically?”
San Francisco Chronicle (Editorial 9/4/09):
“The establishment of “targets” or “goals” is not likely to get the job done. It would give utilities the ability to come up with excuses for why they must remain dependent on fossil fuels in the generation of electricity. It also would give investors and inventors reason to pause about jumping into the creation of new technologies that would make renewable resources cheaper and more effective.”
San Jose Mercury News (Editorial 9/2/09):
“Lawmakers need to make sure that ratepayers’ money goes into job creation and development of clean energy here in California, not just to import power from other states.”
“If utilities can show they aren’t sable to find enough affordable sources of clean energy, they can be excused from complying, keeping rates down.”
“It’s crucial for the Assembly and Senate to pass SB 14 and AB 64 before the session ends September 11th. The sooner the target is set, the sooner California will start seeing benefits.”