Governor Gavin Newsom signs into law Senate Bills 1221 and 1006
SACRAMENTO, CA—Governor Gavin Newsom signed two landmark clean energy bills into law yesterday. Senate Bill (SB) 1221 paves the way for projects that will affordably transition neighborhoods to clean buildings—making it the first legislation of its kind in the nation, while SB 1006 will accelerate the deployment of grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced reconductoring technologies.
Pilot projects authorized by SB 1221 are designed to help disadvantaged, low-income, and environmental justice communities access clean home appliances and clean indoor air. This legislation will also create jobs, as deploying energy efficiency, electric appliances, and thermal energy networks requires a clean energy workforce of electricians and contractors who can install and maintain advanced building technologies.
“With rising gas prices, expensive investments in aging gas infrastructure, and the urgent need to address climate change, California must take proactive steps to prevent yet another energy affordability crisis,” said Edson Perez, California lead at Advanced Energy United. “SB 1221 is a pivotal step in the state’s clean energy future, helping communities move away from a system destined to impose higher costs on residents and instead move toward a more affordable, clean, reliable building future.”
GETs will improve the efficiency of the existing electrical grid, while advanced reconductoring is the process of upgrading existing powerline cables with advanced conductors, improving capacity, efficiency, safety, and reliability. SB 1006 requires utilities to analyze opportunities for both GETs and advanced reconductoring deployment so the state can incorporate them into their transmission planning processes.
Perez adds, “California’s transmission infrastructure is overdue for an upgrade, and its inefficiencies are costing ratepayers millions. SB 1006 will make sure that transmission is upgraded cost-effectively, enabling more renewable energy to reach homes while saving money for ratepayers. We applaud Governor Newsom for embracing innovative technologies that will help California meet its growing energy demands while minimizing rate impacts so we can keep the lights on without spending an arm and a leg.”
California recently received $600 million from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, for the state to upgrade its transmission lines with grid-enhancing technologies, empowering state agencies and utilities to leverage existing advanced energy solutions to strengthen grid infrastructure. A recent U.S. Department of Energy assessment found that deploying these grid solutions at scale nationally would cost-effectively increase the capacity of the existing grid to support up to 100 GW of incremental peak demand.
Other policy leaders are also voicing their support for advanced grid solutions:
- Former Vice President Al Gore recently said “grid modernization is now the critical issue to get the energy transition moving faster.”
- President Biden’s former Director of the National Economic Council recommends “requiring transmission providers and regulators to conduct robust analyses of the value of ATTs (advanced transmission technologies),” which is exactly what SB 1006 will do.