California Adds To Climate Change Legislation

California continues to lead the charge on climate change, with the California Senate passing a comprehensive package of bills last week.  

These bills, which still have to be approved by the Assembly before they are sent to the governor’s desk, include plans to:

• Reduce gasoline use on California’s roads by 50 percent
• Increase energy efficiency by 50 percent
• Have 50 percent of California’s electricity come from renewable sources, such as wind and solar
• Direct cap and trade funds toward public transportation infrastructure
• Extend the emissions reduction target to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050
• Divest California’s public pensions from coal.

CA Leading the Climate Change Charge 

Tackling climate change is an economic imperative for CA.  The state is in the midst of a historic drought, which is being specifically attributed to climate change.  The drought is intensifying forest fire risks, damaging the agriculture business, draining reservoirs, and raising concerns about the state’s economic future.  It is grim in CA right now and from the multi-billion dollar Napa wine region to Central Valley farmers to policy makers in sweltering Sacramento, their is mounting, state-wide concern.  

A Proven Commitment 

Historically, CA has proven they take climate change seriously:  the state has one of the highest renewable portfolio standards in the country, requiring 25 percent of electricity to come from renewables by 2016, and 33 percent by 2020. The current bills would further strengthen CA's commitment to progressive leadership on addressing rising temperatures.

And while some Republicans say that the bills would be "job killers" or are too expensive, developing the solar infrastructure has been a win for CA's economy so far  -- solar employs nearly 55,000 Californians to date. And to not take action, undoubtedly, will be a much worse economic tragedy.

Install solar today:  a good investment that is good for the environment.