Steyer testifies for sweeping climate bill
SACRAMENTO — A farranging measure intended to fight climate change cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday, with billionaire environmental benefactor Tom Steyer appearing at the Capitol to trumpet the bill’s economic benefits.
The proposal, by Sens. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), would require California to increase its use of renewable energy, reduce gasoline consumption and make existing buildings more energy-efficient. It is part of a package of bills that embody objectives set by Gov. Jerry Brown in his inaugural address in January.
Steyer, who sat with De León at the Senate energy committee hearing, said the proposal “dramatically reshapes the state’s economy and breaks the stranglehold of fossil fuels to the benefit of all Californians.”
The former hedge fund manager made an economic case for the legislation, arguing that if the state is an early adopter of renewable energy, “the rest of the world will have to follow us.”
“I strongly believe this is good for California jobs,” he said.
Critics of the bill also made jobs a focal point. Sen Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga) challenged Steyer on why business groups such as the California Chamber of Commerce oppose the measure.
“You say this is going to create jobs, yet these organizations with millions of employees under them, with proven decades of track records, say this is a job killer,” Morrell said.
The bill would require California to cut in half the amount of gasoline used for transportation on its roads. The target could be reached by increasing fuel efficiency, expanding the availability of alternative fuels and cutting the number of miles driven.
Oil companies have said the proposal would be too difficult to fulfill and raise fuel costs for drivers.
The bill would require a 50% increase in energy efficiency in existing buildings, which use more electricity than new construction built to higher standards.
The proposal, SB 350, would require the state to generate 50% of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2030, up from the current 33% target set for 2020.
Although utility companies are on track to achieve the 2020 goal, they have chafed at additional mandates. Also, experts say the electrical grid would require significant upgrades to accommodate the potential influx of renewable energy, which is more difficult to manage than power plants that burn fossil fuel.
Steyer, a prolific funder of Democratic candidates, briefly considered his own U.S. Senate bid this year.