GRIFFITH PARK—On Wednesday, October 7, California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation SB-350 at the Griffith Park Observatory.
The signed legislation states that it is mandatory that half of the state’s electricity must come from renewable energy sources by the time 2030 comes around. The legislation also includes that there must be a doubling of energy efficient buildings.
The legislation was first put out on the floor back in January 2015, but it has undergone some changes since it was first reviewed. One of the major changes that the legislation underwent occurred back in September. The legislation had originally asked for a proposed cut of gasoline usage by a staggering 50 percent in the next 15 years. This addition was met with some opposition and was removed from the final draft. Governor Brown is not discouraged by the absence of this section of the legislation and has stated that it is a small stumble on the road.
The legislation will support building charging stations for electrical vehicles, replacing light bulbs and appliances that have lost their use and finding that which does not uphold to the proper standards.
How the state will meet the new demands that the legislation has introduced will not be in the hands of Governor Brown. He has left the details to be handled by the state’s Air Resources Board, Energy Commission and Public Utilities Commission. As of print, these organizations have not come up with any clear rules that have been met.
The Republican Party has been vocal about their opposition of the new legislation. Both parties have voiced their concern about the bill, mostly economic. The Republican Party stated that the measure will damage the state’s economy. The Democratic Party also has worries that the legislation will have a negative effect on the economy.
