A clean energy strategy that’s working
CALIFORNIA’S SUCCESS IN PURSUING clean-energy policies is — by any measure — pretty remarkable.
In only a few decades, we’ve made huge strides towards reducing our carbon footprint, and we’ve done it while improving our quality of life and expanding our economy. In fact, we have come so far, so fast, that California’s accomplishments in controlling greenhouse gases far outstrip not just the United States as a whole, but nearly every nation around the world.
Today, only one country — France — uses less carbon per dollar of goods and services than California does. We rank near the top in using power from wind, solar, and other green sources. And about one in seven of the world’s electric vehicles drive on California’s roads.
Meanwhile, thanks to the state’s ground-breaking energy efficiency programs, each individual Californian uses almost 20 percent less energy than we did in 1990. Over the same period, our economy has grown by nearly 40 percent and is now creating almost half a million jobs a year.
That track record proves just how much progress is possible when we challenge ourselves to set bold, ambitious goals — ones that some say can’t be met — and then find innovative ways to do just that.
This month, California set the bar even higher by passing Senate Bill 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015. And once again, the state’s energy utilities are being asked to take the lead.
SB 350 creates the roadmap for achieving the clean energy targets that Gov. Jerry Brown announced in his inaugural address earlier this year and supports his executive order calling for a reduction in greenhouse gases to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
To get us there, the legislation directs California utilities to increase the amount of renewable energy we deliver to customers from 33 percent to 50 percent over the next 15 years, while doubling the savings in retail electricity and natural gas use through efficiency and conservation.
That’s a call Pacific Gas and Electric Company is glad to answer. We supported SB 350 because we believe it accurately reflects the urgency of the challenges at hand — and we are committed to using every resource we have to reach its aggressive objectives.
Already, PG&E expects to be ahead of schedule in meeting California’s current target for providing one-third of its power from renewables by 2020. Including hydroelectric and nuclear energy, more than half of PG&E’s electricity already comes from sources that emit no greenhouse gases.
Beyond adding even more renewables, we’ll also continue to lead on energy efficiency, support for rooftop solar, investments in a smarter energy infrastructure, and the push for broader adoption of electric vehicles.
All of these efforts will be necessary to get us to the low-carbon economy we need to respond to the threat that climate change poses.
As SB 350 becomes law with the governor’s signature, Californians can be proud that we will maintain our environmental leadership for years to come. But we can’t be complacent. As the saying goes, “the devil is in the details.” We look forward to working with leaders in Sacramento to ensure that the hard-fought victories of SB 350 are followed by implementation plans that clearly align with these goals.
Otherwise, we run the risk of impeding the amazing pace of change in technology in our state, where in some cases policies and regulations can’t keep up. We need to ensure that when it comes to making the Earth’s energy supply cleaner and more efficient, the Golden State continues to be the gold standard.
California’s accomplishments in controlling greenhouse gases far outstrip not just the United States as a whole, but nearly every nation around the world.