California Commits to 50% Renewable Energy!

Awesome news from the Golden State! California lawmakers just passed SB 350, which will increase the amount of renewable resources powering the state to 50 percent and double the energy efficiency of existing buildings by 2030. The bill now goes to Governor Brown, who is expected to sign SB 350 into law. This is a bold move that raises the clean energy bar for our state, our country, and our world.

Solar is of course already great California success story: it epitomizes the spirit of entrepreneurship, progress and leadership that makes the state great. Smart policy and business innovation have brought down the cost of solar by 90% over the last decade, and now Californians are running emission-free sunshine for less than the price of new fossil fuel plants. With SB 350, we will be putting that cost-competitive solar to work building healthier communities, creating economic opportunity and tackling the very immediate threat of climate change.

While we celebrate those big wins on renewable energy and efficiency, we are also disappointed that the fossil lobby was able to strip the once-strong 50 percent petroleum reduction goal from the bill. Big Oil won that particular issue with lies and fear mongering, undermining democracy and our children’s future in one fell swoop. We need to undo their stranglehold on energy and start planning like we’d like to stay on this planet for a while. That fight continues…

Thanks to Governor Brown, Senator de León and our other champions in the legislature for their leadership on this. If you’d like to read our official word on SB 350’s passage, here’s a media release we issued with fellow solar leaders.

Alright, so California just threw down the renewables gauntlet. Who’s next!?