The California State Legislature finalized several groundbreaking bills addressing environmental concerns at the close of its session in September 2015. Some of the most significant measures aimed at climate change were contained in SB 350, The Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015, which was passed in amended form.
The proposed legislation originally called for a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use in cars and trucks, a 50 percent increase in energy efficiency in buildings, and a requirement for 50 percent of the utility power of the state to be obtained from renewable energy. These measures echoed the standards announced by the Governor in January for climate change. The final version of the legislation was modified to eliminate the 50 percent reduction in petroleum use for car and trucks. Despite failing to incorporate this aspect of the proposal into the final bill, SB 350 is regarded as a significant step in implementing far-reaching and meaningful renewable energy standards.
Specifically, the legislation requires the state to double its energy efficiency savings in electricity and natural gas by 2030. It provides guidance for meeting the standards for energy efficiency savings and contains provisions for evaluating the cost effectiveness and viability of establishing targets. Second, the bill mandates that half of California’s electricity be derived from natural resources by the year 2030. This objective is expected to be achieved by increasing the Renewables Portfolio Standards (RPS), which was originally established in 2002. Most energy utilities have achieved the current target of 33 percent RPS by either buying or reserving sufficient energy resources. SB 350 sets a significant goal for enhanced renewable energy use by increasing the RPS to 50 by the year 2030.
Contact Shane Coons at 949-333-0900 or visit his website at www.ShaneCoonsLaw.com to learn more about his practice and services.