Joe Simitian

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Categories: Environment, 2007-2008 Legislation, SB 411: 33% Renewable Energy by 2020

Background Information

Global warming is a threat to our health, environment and economy. The passage of AB 32 requires greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, including the electricity sector, to be reduced to 1990 levels or below to help mitigate these threats.  According to our state energy agencies, California’s electricity sector produced…   expand ...

Background Information

Global warming is a threat to our health, environment and economy. The passage of AB 32 requires greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, including the electricity sector, to be reduced to 1990 levels or below to help mitigate these threats. 

According to our state energy agencies, California’s electricity sector produced about 108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2004, an increase of 35% over 1990 levels. Furthermore, emissions from the electricity sector are increasing twice as fast as emissions from any other sector, including transportation. Electricity generation now accounts for 32% of California’s gross carbon dioxide emissions.

In light of the state’s ambitious new carbon emission targets, it is important that the state make the appropriate statutory changes to reduce emissions from the electricity sector. While setting the goal is a good start, it is imperative that the feasibility of this policy is addressed. For this very reason the authors committed to a number of amendments that will aide the utilities in attaining this ambitious new target when the bill was heard in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce committee.

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