California follows own path, Passes 100% Renewables Bill into Legislation

Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed the State Bill 100 (SB100) into legislation making California the first state in the US to set a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

This was after the state assembly last month voted 43-32 in favour of the legislation, in a bid to eliminate the reliance on fossil fuels to power homes, businesses and factories in the world’s fifth-largest economy. Accelerating a shift that is already under way, California approved the measure mandating that all electricity come from renewable sources like wind, solar and other clean-energy alternatives like geothermal by 2045, marking the state’s biggest step yet in the fight against global warming. Governor Jerry Brown, is expected to sign it into law in late September. The move is considered especially relevant at a time when the US President, Donald Trump has all but decried the renewable energy movement, a direct consequence of his alleged ‘skepticism’ of climate change itself. Trump in fact has taken actions that have led to a spike in global oil prices, leading to windfall gains for the fossil fuels industry, his heaviest backers.

“California is committed to doing whatever is necessary to meet the existential threat of climate change,” Brown said in his signing message. “This bill, and others I will sign this week, help us go in that direction. But have no illusions, California and the rest of the world have miles to go before we achieve zero-carbon emissions.”

The governor, said that the measure was needed in order for California to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which the United States under orders of President Trump exited earlier this year.

“This bill and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of Paris and beyond. It will not be easy. It will not be immediate. But it must be done,” said Brown.

This push to lower carbon emissions represents the latest clash between the state’s environmental regulation efforts and those of the Trump administration, pushing towards reinvigorating the country’s coal industry. California lawmakers, who had already committed to making sure that 50% of its electricity came from renewable sources by 2030, raised that requirement to 60% with the bill’s passage on Monday.