Orange​ ​County​ ​Leaders​ ​Urge​ ​California​ ​Lawmakers​ ​to Pass​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​for​ ​100%​ ​Clean​ ​Energy

Fullerton​ ​- (RealEstateRama) –​ ​Local​ ​supporters,​ ​city​ ​officials,​ ​business​ ​leaders,​ ​and​ ​environmental​ ​groups​ ​gathered​ ​at Cal​ ​State​ ​Fullerton​ ​to​ ​urge​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​Senate​ ​Bill​ ​100​ ​(De​ ​León).​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​will​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​California generates​ ​100%​ ​of​ ​its​ ​electricity​ ​from​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​sources​ ​by​ ​2045.

“We​ ​are​ ​100%​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​100%​ ​clean​ ​energy,”​ ​said​ ​Bret​ ​Weinberger,​ ​organizer​ ​with​ ​Environment California.​ ​“Clean​ ​energy​ ​is​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our​ ​planet,​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our​ ​communities,​ ​and​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our economy.​ ​We​ ​must​ ​take​ ​action​ ​now​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​a​ ​100%​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​future​ ​for​ ​California.”

SB​ ​100​ ​has​ ​passed​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Senate​ ​and​ ​now​ ​awaits​ ​a​ ​vote​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Assembly​ ​floor.​ ​Action​ ​is​ ​needed before​ ​the​ ​legislative​ ​session​ ​ends​ ​for​ ​the​ ​year​ ​on September​ ​15,​ ​2017.

California​ ​passed​ ​its​ ​first​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​standard​ ​in​ ​2002​ ​(Sher).​ ​The​ ​first​ ​law​ ​required​ ​California energy​ ​providers​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​17%​ ​of​ ​their​ ​electricity​ ​from​ ​renewable​ ​sources​ ​by​ ​2020.​ ​Subsequent bills​ ​have​ ​ramped​ ​up​ ​the​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​standard.​ ​SB​ ​350​ ​(De​ ​León)​ ​was​ ​the​ ​last​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​bill​ ​to pass​ ​two​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​requiring​ ​that​ ​California​ ​energy​ ​providers​ ​generate​ ​50%​ ​renewable​ ​electricity by​ ​2030.

California​ ​utilities​ ​are​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​goals​ ​that​ ​have​ ​been​ ​enshrined​ ​in​ ​law.

“SB​ ​100​ ​is​ ​the​ ​next​ ​logical​ ​step​ ​toward​ ​a​ ​California​ ​where​ ​leadership​ ​in​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​aligns​ ​with innovation​ ​and​ ​economic​ ​development,”​ ​said​ ​State​ ​Senator​ ​Josh​ ​Newman​ ​(D-Fullerton).​ ​”It’s​ ​my firm​ ​belief​ ​that​ ​environmental​ ​stewardship​ ​and​ ​a​ ​robust​ ​and​ ​dynamic​ ​California​ ​economy​ ​are​ ​not mutually​ ​exclusive​ ​propositions,​ ​especially​ ​if​ ​supported​ ​by​ ​thoughtful,​ ​forward-looking​ ​public policy.​ ​SB100​ ​is​ ​but​ ​one​ ​more​ ​step​ ​in​ ​that​ ​direction,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​wholly​ ​consistent​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Golden​ ​State’s historic​ ​record​ ​of​ ​national​ ​environmental​ ​leadership.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​era​ ​of​ ​climate​ ​change​ ​and​ ​fossil​ ​fuel energy​ ​instability,​ ​I​ ​commend​ ​Senator​ ​de​ ​Leon’s​ ​commitment​ ​to​ ​driving​ ​the​ ​shift​ ​to​ ​clean​ ​and renewable​ ​energy​ ​which​ ​will​ ​necessarily​ ​be​ ​at​ ​the​ ​core​ ​of​ ​the​ ​California​ ​economy​ ​of​ ​the​ ​future.”

Roger​ ​Gloss​ ​of​ ​Orange​ ​County​ ​for​ ​Climate​ ​Action​ ​envisioned:​ ​“In​ ​a​ ​world​ ​powered​ ​by​ ​clean​ ​energy there​ ​will​ ​be​ ​no​ ​more​ ​refinery​ ​fires​ ​and​ ​toxic​ ​chemical​ ​releases,​ ​no​ ​more​ ​oil​ ​train​ ​explosions,​ ​burst pipelines​ ​or​ ​Deepwater​ ​Horizons.​ ​Leadership​ ​from​ ​Sacramento​ ​is​ ​critical​ ​right​ ​now​ ​because​ ​there​ ​is currently​ ​no​ ​leadership​ ​coming​ ​from​ ​the​ ​president,​ ​the​ ​EPA,​ ​or​ ​Congress.”

A​ ​recent​ ​report​ ​by​ ​Environment​ ​California​ ​Research​ ​&​ ​Policy​ ​Center​ ​found​ ​that​ ​California​ ​has​ ​seen a​ ​2,583%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​electricity​ ​it​ ​gets​ ​from​ ​the​ ​sun​ ​and​ ​a​ ​245%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​wind power​​production​​over​​the​​past​​decade.​​ The ​​report, ​Renewables on the Rise,​​ makes​​ the​​ case ​​that the​ ​progress​ ​we’ve​ ​seen​ ​in​ ​California​ ​and​ ​around​ ​the​ ​country​ ​on​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​and technologies​ ​like​ ​battery​ ​storage​ ​and​ ​electric​ ​cars​ ​should​ ​give​ ​Californians​ ​the​ ​confidence​ ​that​ ​we can​ ​take​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​level.

Entrepreneur​ ​Adam​ ​Plesniak​ ​of​ ​the​ ​American​ ​Solar​ ​Energy​ ​Society,​ ​concluded:​ ​“When​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to renewable​ ​energy,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​all​ ​eyes​ ​on​ ​California.​ ​​ ​California,​ ​with​ ​its​ ​6th​ ​largest​ ​economy​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world, progressive​ ​policies​ ​and​ ​incredible​ ​natural​ ​solar​ ​resource,​ ​is​ ​the​ ​pace​ ​car​ ​in​ ​the​ ​race​ ​to​ ​a​ ​global carbon​ ​free​ ​energy​ ​system.”

Contact
Michelle Kinman