Sacramento, CA, Aug. 27, 2018 — After months of negotiations, state lawmakers and Governor Jerry Brown agreed to critical changes to AB 813 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), clearing the way for California to meet clean energy and climate goals by deepening its partnership with neighboring states and building a regional market for more affordable and more reliable renewable energy, while ensuring the interests of California consumers are protected.
Environmental and clean energy leaders are now calling on the state Senate to approve the amended bill and send it to Governor Jerry Brown this week.
“The legislative process has worked, and the bill is now better and stronger than it was weeks ago,” said Donald Furman, director of Fix the Grid coalition. “Governor Brown and Assemblyman Holden should be commended for their leadership on this issue, and for ensuring California continues to lead on climate policy by creating a larger market for cheap, safe and reliable renewable power. The Senate should act now on this important legislation.”
AB 813 is a critical step toward weaning California off of dirty fossil fuels and generating 100 percent of its power from carbon-free sources. The bill will expand the market for renewable power, allowing the state to more easily export surplus solar power to neighboring states, while making it easier to import low-cost wind and other forms of renewable energy from other Western States.
The bill will be a key part of Governor Jerry Brown’s legacy of leadership on climate issues, moving California toward a clean energy future while keeping electricity rates affordable.
The changes to AB 813 will help ensure a regional electrical grid is established with explicit California oversight, operates with transparency, and protects the interests of Californians by keeping electricity clean and affordable. The bill now explicitly provides an opportunity for review by the Legislature and the next governor prior to implementation.
The amended bill includes safeguards that ensure California maintains control over its electricity future, creating a cleaner grid regionally, while not make the state more susceptible to hostile federal regulators. It also ensures that state lawmakers and the next administration will have an opportunity to review any plan to create a working regional grid.
AB 813 is scheduled to be heard on the Senate floor later this week and has the support of leading environmental groups, clean energy companies and Governor Brown.
You can learn more about Fix The Grid here.