The signing of California’s Clean Energy bill (SB 350) by Gov. Jerry Brown represents a significant shift towards clean energy investment from California in the coming decades. The bill will see California attempt to produce half its electricity from wind and solar technologies by 2030. It will also push homeowners and businesses to double their energy efficiency from current levels. State energy regulators will work closely with utilities to harness a new model of generation and grid support based mostly on innovative, clean energy technology. The bill represents a landmark victory for green advocates throughout the state who are pushing to implement a systematic fossil fuel divestment.
On this occasion, Gov.Brown’s proposal to cut gasoline output in half was rejected in the state legislature and highlights the oil and gas industry’s lingering influence within state politics. California still has a long way to go before reducing its reliance on automobiles and introducing mass transit infrastructure.
Given the ongoing effects of the state’s historic drought, climate change has become a more central topic in the state’s political discourse that has resulted in clean energy polices. Gov. Brown and his administration will continue to offer incentives for clean energy companies that will result in the sustained growth of renewable technologies.
California could serve as a template for the rest of the United States as the climate debate intensifies. The growing recognition within the United States over the threat of climate change could begin to strongly influence voter preferences, even in traditionally conservative states. Given the reliance of California on fossil fuels historically, this bill does provide hope that other states and ultimately the entire country could follow suit. This will be much more difficult achieve given the resources available to fossil fuel lobbies in Congress and the existent divisions among bipartisan legislatures. The Obama Administration has attempted to implement a national shift towards clean energy through the Clean Power Plan and incentives for renewable energy industries. However, this legacy will be threatened until the identity of the next U.S. President and their energy mantra is revealed.
As the UN Climate Change Conference in December edges ever closer, the importance of the United States in leading a cohesive climate policy cannot be understated. As one of the biggest global Greenhouse Gas emitters, the United States must introduce policies to reduce its annual carbon and methane output levels. This can only occur from an investment in clean energy and a divestment in fossil fuels, the core objective of this historic piece of legislation.
