The Latest News & Events

California Considers 100% Clean Energy By 2045

Earlier this month, California lawmakers met to debate one of the most highly-anticipated clean energy mandates the state has ever seen.

T

he proposed Senate Bill 100, first amended back in May, outlined plans for California to commit to using 100% renewable or carbon neutral energy by 2045.  Despite making it through several rounds of deliberation, the bill seems to have reached a stopping point, at least for now.

The San Francisco Bay Area is currently home to more than 72,000 jobs in the clean energy sector and has also become one of the top producers of green tech patents.  However, only about a quarter of the state currently runs on renewable energy, leaving a whopping 75% that would need to make the switch in the next 20-30 years.

A

dvocates of the bill argued the lower costs of energy sources like solar and wind, along with their environmental impacts, while utility companies like Pacific Gas  Electric gained the support of hundreds of thousands of electrical workers, all opposing the bill due to the potential loss of jobs and control of California’s grid.

As of right now, Hawaii is the only state to have successfully passed similar legislation to SB 100.  The fiftieth state passed its own 100% renewable electricity mandate back in 2015 and seems well under way to reaching its goal by 2045.

While some feel that California bill may still pass given enough thought and deliberation, assemblyman, Chris Holden, recently told the Los Angeles Times that, “There’s not a lot of time for the engagement we need to make it work.”  To learn more about SB 100, click here.