Don’t back down

California power companies have an appealing but flawed argument with the state’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2045. They want existing dams that churn out carbon-free electricity to count toward that mark, making it easier and cheaper to meet their climate-friendly obligations.

A pending bill, SB386, sounds narrow and focused, but it’s not. It would allow the Modesto irrigation district that operates Don Pedro Dam astride the Tuolumne River to total the cranked out electricity toward its renewable energy quota. That exemption would mean less need to buy juice from solar, wind and other green sources and save money for ratepayers.

It’s a pitch that power companies have made for years but without success. Why? Because such an exemption would hamstring the growth of renewables in a state with the nation’s dirtiest air. Green sources need to expand, not stall out. A loophole for dam operators will chip away at the overall goal. Regulations also

soften the financial pressure on power firms by limiting the expense of buying clean energy.

The bill authored by state Senator Anna Caballero, a Salinas Democrat, sailed through a first stop energy committee. But it’s stirring opposition from clean energy and environmental groups, who rightly see it as an invitation for other private and public dam operators for similar treatment. A floor vote is possible this week.

The measure also angers former state Senator Kevin de León, who charted the state’s landmark clean energy goal as a top legislator. “They’re trying to unravel this now that I’m gone,’’ he said of the power companies. Other states are considering matching the state’s sweeping rule and the bill “is a huge, huge stain on California’s environmental legacy.”

If the state is serious about a clean energy future, it has to spur an economy that supports that goal. Giving a pass to power companies to count longbuilt dams undercuts that aim.