[Sacramento, August 19, 2015] – Advanced energy business leaders went to the California Capitol building today to express support for Gov. Brown’s energy and climate goals for 2030 and Senate President Pro-tempore Kevin de León’s bill to put those goals into law. These company executives say that increasing the use of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and alternatives for petroleum fuels will meet California’s energy needs and also create jobs and grow businesses – and with it, California’s economy.
“Thanks to the ambitious goals it has already achieved, California has become the nation’s leader in energy innovation, and has the business growth to show for it,” said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy, a national business association with a significant membership of companies in California. “Raising our sights higher will keep the momentum going.”
Advanced Energy Economy, a national business association with many member companies in California, supports SB 350 (de León). Enacting SB 350 will create jobs and drive economic growth in California, according to AEE. That view was delivered today by representatives of 20 AEE member companies visiting key California lawmakers.
“California sets the standard nationally for energy efficiency in buildings, but there is much more that can be done,” said Terrill Laughton, Vice President and General Manager for Integrated Demand Resources, Johnson Controls, Inc. “As the nation’s leader in energy technology and management, Johnson Controls supports the goal of doubling the energy efficiency of buildings beyond the state’s current high standards, and stands ready to help California achieve that goal.”
“Solar power is already meeting a significant portion of California’s energy needs, but has by no means reached its limit,” said Howard Wenger, President of Business Units, SunPower Corp. “The solar industry is prepared to help the state reach higher in its use of clean, renewable energy.”
“Intelligent energy storage is a key component of the electric power system of the future,” said Ted Ko, Director of Policy, Stem, Inc. “As a pioneer in valuable new applications of energy storage, Stem looks forward to helping California achieve all of the major objectives captured in SB 350. The potential for consumers to manage their energy costs while simultaneously contributing to our climate goals is enormous.”
“California’s continuing growth puts enormous pressure on our natural resources, and that demands that we become more water and energy efficient,” said Robin Gilthorpe, CEO, WaterSmart Software. “Water and energy are so interrelated that we can consider them as a single resource, and now is the time to tap innovative solutions to help us create a sustainable future for California.”
AEE’s priorities for the 2015-16 legislative session include:
Extending the State’s Energy and Climate Goals:
- Provide businesses with regulatory certainty beyond 2020
- Open and expand markets for renewable, clean and distributed resources, including technologies that have emerged since passage of AB 32
- Address the state’s ongoing energy and water supply challenges
Investing Cap and Trade Revenue to Achieve Maximum Economic and Environmental Benefits:
- Leverage a portion of cap and trade revenue to spur market development and attract private capital
- Align revenue strategies with the state’s energy, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and water conservation strategies
- Support financing measures for the deployment of renewable generation, energy storage, and water efficiency projects
California has shown that ambitious energy and climate goals send a market signal that can build an industry. In a groundbreaking survey commissioned by the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, a nonprofit educational organization affiliated with AEE, advanced energy employment in California was documented as 431,000 workers in 2014, with significant employment found in all areas of the state. Employers reported 5 percent growth in advanced energy-related jobs over the year prior, and projected 17 percent growth in employment in the year ahead.
The advanced energy industry lobbying effort came the day before AEE’s Pathway to 2050, the organization’s third annual event in Sacramento focusing on the challenges and opportunities for business growth arising from California’s nation-leading climate and energy commitments. This year’s event, held at the Sacramento Convention Center, features panels on meeting California’s carbon goals by RPS or Clean Energy Standard; future of demand management; high penetration of renewable energy on the grid; electrification of transportation; and utility regulation and business model reform, featuring a presentation on the industry-utility working group paper Toward a 21st Century Electricity System for California, published last week.
Speakers in this year’s Pathway event include Nancy McFadden, Executive Secretary to Gov. Brown; energy and utility committee chairs Assemblyman Anthony Rendon and Senator Ben Hueso; California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols; California Energy Commissioner David Hochschild; California Independent System Operator President and CEO Steve Berberich; California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker and Commissioner Carla Peterman; and executives from Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison.
About Advanced Energy Economy
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is a national association of businesses making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. Advanced energy products and services include energy efficiency, demand response, natural gas electricity generation, solar, wind, hydro, electric vehicles, energy storage, biofuels, and smart grid. AEE’s mission is to transform public policy to enable rapid growth of advanced energy businesses. AEE works with member companies located and doing business in California to help the state reach its energy and climate goals by focusing on effective implementation, leveraging public dollars with private investment, and building public support. Visit AEE online at www.aee.net.
Media Contact: Monique Hanis, 202-391-0884, mhanis@aee.net
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