Advanced Energy Perspectives

In his State of the State speech in January, Gov. Jerry Brown announced his Administration’s determination to extend California’s climate and energy goals to 2030. The Governor called for strengthening the state’s renewable and energy efficiency goals and for steep reductions in the use of petroleum, capturing the goals in a catchy formula: 50-50-50. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León took up the challenge and introduced SB 350. The bill, supported actively by AEE, called for raising the RPS to 50%, increasing efficiency in existing buildings by 50%, and reducing petroleum usage by 50%. It came down to literally the 11^th hour of the session, but the groundbreaking bill passed the legislature on September 11 – minus the oil-reduction goal. Still, it was a big step forward for California’s already nation-leading energy and climate policies – and on reducing petroleum use, Gov. Brown vowed to fight another day.

In one of the most hopeful moments in years for advanced energy, the major forces in California politics – Governor Jerry Brown, leaders of the Senate and Assembly, labor, the environmental community, and advanced energy businesses – are coming together to extend the state’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, AB 32, which expires in 2020. That law calls for the state’s GHG emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels. With that goal clearly within reach, the question became: what’s next? In his inaugural address in January, Gov. Brown called for new targets: reducing GHG levels to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. It is behind these goals that California’s political stars now seem to be aligned.

Everyone knows that advanced energy is bringing jobs to California, but until recently, we didn't know just how many. Earlier this month, Bloomberg News reported that California's commitment to advanced energy investment has paid off. Companies in California's advanced energy sector are "creating more jobs and investing more money than competitors in any other state."

Advanced Energy Economy Institute recently released a first-of-its-kind employment survey of California's advanced energy industry. Check out the infographic below for insight into what those job numbers really mean. 

California’s 2014 legislative session has finally come to a close. August was a busy month in Sacramento as the Legislature worked to get bills through both houses in the final stretch, after which Gov. Brown signed them into law during the month of September. In addition to approving several bills and budget items that will improve the business climate for advanced energy companies, the Legislature also faced an attempt to push off a key milestone in the state’s climate plan.

“We will not grow our economy in spite of our climate goals, but because of our climate goals.” That was the message from Kish Rajan, director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, to the nearly 300 business and government leaders gathered in Sacramento August 6 to discuss the “Pathway to 2050” for energy and climate in California.

With the subtitle “delivering on the promise,” the second annual Pathway to 2050 event featured speakers and panels addressing subjects ranging from financing options for disruptive technologies to utility business model and regulatory reform, all geared toward accelerating advanced energy business growth to meet California’s goal of 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.