California passes law accelerating renewable energy, energy efficiency targets
By William Pentland
The California State Assembly has passed legislation that would significantly increase the use of renewable energy and dramatically increase the energy efficiency of buildings in California.
 |
|
Long Beach, California. Credit: WPPilot/Wikimedia Commons |
The legislation, the Clean Energy and Reduction Act (SB 350), was passed by a vote of 51 to 26 on Friday. It is now in the hands of California's Gov. Jerry Brown who is expected to sign it later this month.
California's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) currently requires utilities to provide 33 percent of their electricity generation from renewable energy resources by 2020. Under SB 350, the utilities would increase the share of electricity from renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. The legislation would also mandate by 2030 a 50 percent increase in energy efficiency in buildings by that year.
In January, Governor Brown issued an executive order calling for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The state also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent under 1990 levels by 2050.
For more:
- see this
article
© 2015 FierceMarkets, a division of Questex, LLC. All rights reserved.