Brown Signs Renewable Energy Mandate

Media Contacts

California’s 33% by 2020 clean energy mandate becomes strongest law in country

Environment California

Sacramento – Taking a giant step forward down the path toward repowering California with clean, renewable energy, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 2X (Simitian) the 33% by 2020 Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) bill today. The clean energy mandate is the strongest in the country and environmental advocates celebrated its potential to provide cleaner air, green jobs and greater energy security for the state.
 
“This is a huge victory for anyone who cares about clean air and energy independence,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate with Environment California. “California can power itself entirely on clean energy resources like wind, geothermal and solar power. Mandating that the state generate a third of its electricity from renewable energy is a big down payment toward that ultimate goal.”

California’s 33% renewable electricity by 2020 standard is currently enforced by regulation. Policy makers and renewable energy advocates have been working for several years to advance California’s clean energy mandate by making the new minimum standard law. Prior to today, California law required utilities to generate 20% of their electricity from clean energy resources by 2010, with a three year enforcement window. By signing SB 2X into law, Governor Brown has made California home to the nation’s biggest clean energy market.

Absent today’s law, California was falling behind other states in developing renewable energy. For example, over the past few years, California has fallen behind Texas and Iowa in terms of renewable projects built. Setting our sights on generating at least a third of our electricity from renewable resources puts California back in the leadership position.

The 33% standard applies to the state’s investor owned utilities of PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric as well as the state’s numerous municipal utilities. California first passed a 20% by 2017 RPS in 2002 on the heels of the California Energy Crisis. Once it became apparent that 20% was achievable by 2010, the legislature moved up the timeline but granted the utilities a three-year window for compliance. The California Air Resources Board estimates that the 33% by 2020 standard will result in 12 to 13 million metric tons of global warming pollution reduced by 2020 as well as significant reductions in smog forming pollution as well.