Category Archives: California Senate Bill 350 (SB350)

Air Quality, California Regulation, California Senate Bill 350 (SB350), Climate Change

California Legislature Approves Landmark Climate Legislation—SB 350

From a State Senator Kevin De León Press Release
[Editor: See latest on SB 350 on leginfo.ca.gov.  – RS] 

Legislature Approves Landmark Climate Legislation—SB 350

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2015

Contact: Claire.Conlon@sen.ca.gov (916) 651-4024

SB 350 Bill Authors Senators Mark Leno and Kevin de León are joined by Senate colleagues and bill supporters at a 2/10/15 press conference where the California Climate Leadership Package was announced.

SACRAMENTO – On September 11, 2015, the California Legislature approved the nation’s most far-reaching climate change legislation by California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, sending the measure to the Governor for his signature.

SB 350, The Clean Energy and Reduction Act, codifies Governor Brown’s goals to double energy efficiency in our buildings and generate half of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030—in the largest state in the union and the eighth largest economy in the world. Before amendments made in the Assembly this week, the original measure also included a provision to reduce demand for petroleum use in vehicles by 50 percent.

“These new steps build on California’s historic commitment to lead the world in the fight against climate change and build a healthy and livable planet for our children and grandchildren,” said Senate leader De León. “But our efforts to reduce carbon emissions are far from over as global warming and air pollution remain one of the most important issues of our generation and one the greatest threats for generations to come.”

Said Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, who presented SB 350 on the Assembly floor Friday night: “This is, make no doubt about it, landmark legislation for California. We will continue to lead the way.”

Highlights (from Sen. De León‘s Newsroom):

Full List of Support for SB 350:

  • 350.org
  • 350 Bay Area/Marin
  • Academy of Pediatrics- California
  • Advanced Energy Economy (AEE)
  • Alameda Building Trades Council
  • Alameda County Board of Supervisors
  • Alliance for Solar Choice
  • American Academy of Pediatrics
  • American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
  • American Farmland Trust
  • American Lung Association
  • American Lung Association-California
  • American White Water
  • Annies’s Natural Foods
  • Artesia City Councilmember Ali Sajjad Taj
  • Asian Pacific Environmental Network
  • Asthma and Sinus Center
  • Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles County
  • Attorney General Kamala Harris
  • Audubon
  • Autodesk
  • AzTech
  • Aztec Energy
  • Azul
  • Baz Allergy
  • Ben & Jerry’s
  • Beneficial State Bank
  • Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates
  • Berkshire Hathaway Energy
  • Biosynthetic Technologies
  • Blattner Energy
  • Bloom Energy
  • Bonnie J. Adario Lung Cancer Foundation
  • Borrego Solar
  • Breathe California
  • Bright Power
  • BYD Motors, Inc.
  • CA Local conservation corps
  • California Association of Sanitation Agencies
  • California Bicycle Coalition
  • California Biomass Energy Alliance
  • California Black Health Network
  • California Catholic Conference
  • California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health
  • California Conservation Corps
  • California Democratic Party
  • California District Council of Ironworkers
  • California Energy Efficiency Industry Council
  • California Energy Storage Alliance
  • California Environmental Justice Alliance
  • California Equity Leaders Network
  • California Federation of Teachers
  • California Interfaith Power and Light
  • California League of Conservation Voters
  • California Municipal Utilities Association
  • California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (CNGVC)
  • California Nurses Association
  • California Pan Ethnic Health Network
  • California Public Health Association- North
  • California Solar
  • California Solar Energy Industry Association
  • California State Association of Electrical Workers
  • California State Pipes Trade Council
  • California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
  • California Thoracic Society
  • California Trout
  • California Walks
  • California Wind Energy Association
  • California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers
  • Californians Against Waste
  • CalSTART
  • Canadian Solar
  • Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton
  • Center for Climate Change and Health
  • Center for Sustainable Energy
  • Center on Race Poverty and the Environment
  • Central California Asthma Collaborative
  • Chai Energy
  • ChangeLab Solutions
  • Circulate San Diego
  • City of Glendale
  • City of Huntington Park City of Los Angeles
  • City of Santa Monica
  • Clean Energy Collective
  • Clean Energy and Clean Energy Renewable Fuels
  • Clean Fuel Partners
  • Clean Power Campaign
  • Clean Power Finance
  • Clean Water Action
  • CleanTech San Diego
  • Cleveland National Forest Foundation
  • CLIF Bar & Co.
  • Climate Parents
  • Climate Resolve
  • Coalition for Clean Air
  • Coalition for Renewables and Gas
  • Coalition for Sustainable Transportation
  • Coalition of California Utility Employees
  • Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation
  • Code REDD
  • Contra Costa Building Trades Council
  • Controller Betty Yee
  • County of Los Angeles Public Health
  • Dignity Health
  • Distinguished Outreach Services
  • Doctors for Climate Health
  • Dr. Carl Wunsch (Harvard)
  • Dr. Roger Bales (UC Merced)
  • Eagle Creek
  • Eagle Crest Energy
  • Eco Factor
  • EDF Renewable Energy
  • Endangered Habitats League
  • EnergyHub
  • energyhippo
  • Energy Source
  • Environment California
  • Environmental and Energy Consulting
  • Environmental Defense Fund
  • Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2)
  • Eon Energy
  • EtaGen
  • First Fuel
  • First Solar
  • Fresno, Madera, and Kings Building Trades Council
  • Friends Committee on Legislation of California
  • Friends of the River
  • fs energy
  • Gaia Development Services
  • Gap, Inc. Genability
  • Greenbelt Alliance
  • Greenlining institute
  • Green Star Solutions
  • greentech
  • GRID Alternatives
  • Harvest Power
  • Hawthorne City Councilmember Angie Reyes English
  • Health Care Without Harm
  • Health Officers Association of California
  • Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
  • Home Energy Analytics
  • Humboldt/Del Norte Building Trades Council
  • Hydropower Reform Coalition
  • icontrol Networks
  • Inglewood City Councilmember Eloy Morales
  • Imperial Building Trades Council
  • Independent Energy Producers Association
  • Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones
  • International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
  • International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
  • Investor Confidence Project
  • KB Home
  • Kern, Inyo & Mono Building Trades Council
  • kW Engineering
  • Lancaster Choice Energy
  • Large Scale Solar Association
  • League of Women Voters of California
  • Levi Strauss & Co.
  • Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
  • Long Beach  Mayor Robert Garcia
  • Los Angeles City Council
  • Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
  • Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
  • Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative
  • Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
  • Los Angeles/Orange Building Trades Council
  • Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California
  • Lyft
  • Marin Building Trades Council
  • Marin Clean Energy
  • Mars, Inc.
  • McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
  • Medical Advocates for Healthy Air
  • Methanol Institute
  • Mercury Press International
  • Mid Valley Building Trades Council
  • Mission Data Empowering Energy Savings
  • Moms Clean Air Force
  • Montebello Mayor Jack Hadjinian
  • Monterey/Santa Cruz Building Trades Council
  • Motiv Power Solutions
  • Mountain Riders Alliance
  • Move LA
  • Napa/Solano Building Trades Council
  • Natel Energy
  • National Parks Conservation Association
  • Natural Resource Defense Council
  • Nature Conservancy
  • Nest
  • NextGen Climate
  • NextTracker, Inc
  • Nobel economist Dr. Kenneth Arrow (Stanford)
  • Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Mario Molina (UCSD)
  • Northeastern, Shasta, Trinity, Lassen & Tehama Building Trades Council
  • Northface
  • NRG Energy, Inc.
  • Oakland City Council
  • Office of Ratepayer Advocates
  • OPEN
  • Pacific Ethanol
  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company
  • Pattern Energy
  • Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles
  • Physicians for Social Responsibility – San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
  • Planning and Conservation League
  • plotwatt
  • PolicyLink
  • Propel
  • Proterra, Inc.
  • Public Advocates
  • Public Health Institute
  • Rainforest Automation
  • Recurrent Energy
  • Redlands Area Democratic Club
  • Regional Asthma Management and Prevention
  • Rep. Adam Schiff
  • Rep. Alan Lowenthal
  • Rep. Anna Eshoo
  • Rep. Barbara Lee
  • Rep. Doris Matsui
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell
  • Rep. Janice Hahn
  • Rep. Jared Huffman
  • Rep. Jerry McNerney
  • Rep. John Garamendi
  • Rep. Juan Vargas
  • Rep. Judy Chu
  • Rep. Julia Brownley
  • Rep. Karen Bass
  • Rep. Lois Capps
  • Rep. Loretta Sanchez
  • Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
  • Rep. Mark Takano
  • Rep. Mike Honda
  • Rep. Mike Thompson
  • Rep. Nancy Pelosi
  • Rep. Scott Peters
  • Rep. Susan Davis
  • Rep. Ted Lieu
  • Rep. Zoe Lofgren
  • Retroficiency
  • Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District
  • Sacramento/Sierra Building Trades Council
  • San Bernardino/Riverside Building Trades Council
  • San Diego Building Trades Council
  • San Fernando City Councilmember Antonio Lopez
  • San Fernando City Councilmember Robert Gonzales
  • San Francisco Asthma Task Force
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors
  • San Francisco Building Trades Council
  • San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
  • San Joaquin, Calaveras & Alpine Building Trades Council
  • San Mateo Building Trades Council
  • Santa Ana City Councilmember Michele Martinez
  • Santa Barbara County Air Quality Control District
  • Santa Clara County Medical Society
  • Santa Clara/San Benito Building Trades Council
  • Sempra Energy Utilities
  • Sequoia Riverlands Trust
  • Service Employees International Union – California
  • Sierra Business Council
  • Sierra Club California
  • Signal Energy, LLC
  • Silicon Valley Leadership Group
  • Small Business California
  • SmartWool
  • Solar City
  • Solar Energy Industries Association
  • Sonoma Clean Power
  • Sonoma County Asthma Coalition
  • Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Building Trades Council
  • South Yuba River Citizens League
  • Southern California Edison
  • Southern California Public Power
  • Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association
  • Stanislaus, Merced & Mariposa Building Trades Council
  • State Association of Electrical Workers
  • State Building and Construction Trade Council of California
  • Stem, Inc.
  • Sun Edison
  • Sungevity
  • Sunpower
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
  • Sustainable Power Group
  • Symantec
  • TechNet
  • The Utility Reform Network
  • Thinkshift Communications
  • TransForm
  • Treasurer John Chiang
  • Tri-Counties Building Trades Council
  • Trust for Public Lands
  • Tulare County Citizens for Responsible Growth
  • U.S. Senator Boxer
  • U.S. Senator Feinstein   Unilever
  • Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
  • Union of Concerned Scientists
  • Union of Elevator Constructors
  • United Union of Roofers, Waterpoofers and Allied Trades
  • US Green Building Council
  • UtiliSave
  • Valley Clean Air Now
  • Verdafera
  • Vivint Solar
  • Voices For Progress
  • Vote Solar
  • Watersmart Software
  • Watsonville City Council   WeatherBug Home
  • Western Council of Sheet Metal Workers
  • Western State Council
  • Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification

For more information about California’s climate leadership visit:

http://focus.senate.ca.gov/climate

#ActOnClimate

Photo: SB 350 Bill Authors Senators Mark Leno and Kevin de León are joined by Senate colleagues and bill supporters at a 2/10/15 press conference where the California Climate Leadership Package was announced

###

Claire Conlon
Press Secretary
Office of Senate President pro Tempore
Senator Kevin de León
24th Senate District – Los Angeles
(916) 651-4024

http://sd24.senate.ca.gov

California Regulation, California Senate Bill 32 (SB32), California Senate Bill 350 (SB350), Climate Change

SB32 and SB350 – both bills stalled in Cal Assembly

Repost from the San Francisco Chronicle
[Editor:  The following is a brief PORTION of a late-breaking SFChron news article.  The article focuses on medical marijuana and racist mascots, then turns to breaking news on two climate change bills that are stalled in the California State Assembly.  Latest on leginfo.ca.gov: SB32, SB350.  – RS]

California government leaders…

By Melody Gutierrez, Updated: September 10, 2015 10:38pm

[near end of article]  …Also stalling before the deadline was a climate change bill that aimed to chart the state’s path toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. SB32 by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County), would have required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990’s levels by 2030, and to 80 percent below 1990’s levels by 2050. Those targets were previously called for by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brown through executive orders.

The bill failed 25-33 in the Assembly on Tuesday and on Thursday Pavley said she would not seek another vote this year.

“Unfortunately, the state Assembly and the administration were not supportive, for now, and we could not pass this important proposal,” Pavley said in a statement.

SB32’s faltering came a day after another climate change bill was gutted.

SB350 no longer requires the state to cut petroleum use in half over the next 15 years, which Brown said was the result of well-financed opposition from the oil industry. The bill still calls for the state to boost energy efficiency in buildings by 50 percent and requires California to get half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Air Quality, California Regulation, California Senate Bill 32 (SB32), California Senate Bill 350 (SB350), Climate Change, Oil industry lobby

California Lawmakers Abandon Key Part Of Climate Legislation – Big Oil wins

Various sources …

Jerry Brown: Oil lobby gutted climate bill – San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders said a well-financed oil industry won a fight over the state’s efforts to pass legislation that would drastically reduce California’s gas consumption. But the feisty governor pledged to keep pushing for climate change policies that reduce the state’s dependence on oil..more..

Big Oil Slick Captures Round 1 of CA Climate Change Drive – Huffington Post
The power of California’s oil refiners is always felt but rarely visible in Sacramento. It was on full display at Wednesday’s press conference when ..more..

California Lawmakers Abandon Key Part Of Climate Legislation, Blaming Oil Industry Lobbying – ThinkProgress
The oil industry has poured money into a campaign against SB 350, calling the legislation the “California Gas Restriction Act of 2015″ and warning that it could ..more..

Oil giants derail California bill to reduce gasoline use by 50% – The Guardian
With only two days left in the legislative session, oil industry successfully rallies for amendment to ambitious environmental bill SB350 ..more..

California Democrats Wanted to Save the World. They Just Caved to Big Oil – Mother Jones
It appears I was a bit too bullish on the prospects for historic new climate legislation in California. Yesterday, Democrats in the state legislature caved to pressure from the powerful oil industry and dropped a critical piece of the bill..more..

California climate change bill: Jerry Brown, Democrats drop oil-reduction target; talks on taxes stall – San Jose Mercury News
With just two days to go before the end of the legislative session, Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic legislative leaders suffered a pair of stunning defeats at the hands of Republicans, oil companies and even some members of their own party..more..

Air Quality, California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32), California Regulation, California Senate Bill 32 (SB32), California Senate Bill 350 (SB350), Climate Change

SF CHRONICLE EDITORIAL: Showdown in Sacramento

Repost from the San Francisco Chronicle

Legislature needs to pass California’s climate bills now

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial, September 8, 2015 4:54pm
Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León visits the Chronicle in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 26, 2015 Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle
Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León visits the Chronicle in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, June 26, 2015 Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

This was never going to be easy.

When California passed AB32 in 2006, state leaders were feted all over the world for their strong leadership and their willingness to do the hard work in the fight against climate change.

But now the party’s over. The state Legislature is embroiled in a tough fight around SB350 and SB32, two critical bills that represent California’s next steps toward achieving our climate change goals.

This year’s legislative deadline is Friday, so legislators must act now.

The most controversial bill is SB350, by state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles.

The petroleum industry has its guns aimed on the bill, which would require the state Air Resources Board to decide how the state should reduce petroleum use by 50 percent over the next 15 years and require utilities to increase their renewable energy portfolios to 50 percent by 2030. It would also require improved energy efficiency in buildings.

Those are tough goals, but they’re achievable. California can get there without resorting to the scare tactics that the oil industry is suggesting in its disingenuous ad campaigns (a ban on minivans and SUVs, Soviet-style gas rationing, and other over-the-top threats).

The state Assembly’s own analysis points out that California’s existing regulations have already set the stage for a decline in statewide petroleum consumption by 31 to 41 percent by 2030.

SB350 represents one more push, not a paradigm shift.

Still, there are a few waverers among the moderate Democrats in the state Assembly. (SB350 has already passed the state Senate.)

De León is still seeking to compromise with them (he’s offered amendments to beef up oversight of the state Air Resources Board and is open to giving the state Legislature a chance to modify whatever regulations the board winds up proposing), which is positive. Increasing oversight of the board would be an especially good idea.

But there should be no compromise on the centerpiece guidelines of the bill. After all, the climate isn’t willing to compromise with California.

SB32, authored by state Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills (Los Angeles County), has gotten less attention — but it doesn’t deserve to get lost in the end-of-the-year fray.

SB32 requires California to further slash greenhouse gas emissions, first to 40 percent below 1990 levels (by 2030), and eventually to 80 percent below 1990 levels (by 2050).

These are ambitious goals, and the state Legislature will have to refine them as technology and conditions change. But there’s no reason to believe that California can’t adapt to high standards.

Since we passed AB32, California’s economy has grown — not cratered. We’ve added jobs all over the economy, from manufacturing to clean technology.

Have there been financial costs? Yes. But Californians also value public health and the future of the planet, and that’s why the state Legislature needs to stop dithering and pass SB32 and SB350.