More renewable energy demanded of state utilities -- again

Dec 8 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Kurtis Alexander Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.

Even before California's power companies have met a year-end target of getting 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources such as wind or solar, state Sen. Joe Simitian is upping the ante.

A bill introduced this week by the senator would require utilities to generate 33 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020, a standard Simitian says would go a long way to fighting global warming, spawning green investment and assuring California a local source of energy. The proposal, Senate Bill 23, failed in past years but Simitian, D-Palo Alto, hopes this time will be different.

"I'm optimistic," he said. "This is sound energy policy."

Simitian's bill is one of dozens introduced in the opening days of the new legislative session, several of which are authored by area lawmakers. State Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, is working to put an end to "robocalls," the automated, pre-recorded phone calls from politicians. Newly sworn-in Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, wants to raise the minimum wage.

Simitian says his renewable energy legislation has better odds with the new governor. The 33 percent renewable target, which didn't get a vote earlier this year when the Legislature ran out of time, was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009.

"Gov.-elect Jerry Brown is clearly committed to moving forward with renewables," Simitian said, noting that he spoke with Brown about energy issues over the weekend.

Schwarzenegger

has supported the push for renewable energy, but came out against Simitian's bill because of restrictions it put on where the power would come from.

The state's utilities are still working to meet the 20-percent renewable energy requirement established in 2006 by a bill also authored by Simitian.

A surge in the number of contracts for renewable energy early this year have put utilities on track to generate about 18 percent of their total power from renewable sources by the end of the year, according to the Public Utilities Commission.

The 2006 law, though, provides a grace period that will likely bring utilities into compliance. The PUC projects 21 percent of power will come from renewables by the end of 2011, which would meet the state deadline.

PUC officials cite federal stimulus money as one of the primary drivers behind the rise in renewables.

Blakeslee, too, is resurrecting an earlier bill in hope of a different outcome.

Senate Bill 18, which didn't make it out of the Legislature the last time it was introduced, seeks to close a loophole in regulations banning gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers. Specifically, the bill would prohibit employers of lobbyists from lavish spending on legislators, whether it's concert tickets or golf.

"Sadly, what happens now is the employee of a lobbyist will invite the legislator to play a round of golf with the lobbyist," Blakeslee said. "Such gifts are inappropriate."

Blakeslee, fresh out of a special election this summer, is also looking to ban what he calls "irritating" campaign robocalls with Senate Bill 19.

In the other house, Alejo has introduced Assembly Bill 10, which would raise the minimum wage paid to workers in California from $8 to $8.50 an hour starting in 2012.

In addition to renewable energy targets, Simitian has also reintroduced legislation that would bump up fines for talking on a cell phone while driving, prevent so-called pension spiking and lower the voting threshold needed to pass parcel taxes for education.