SB 722 (Simitian, Kehoe, and Steinberg):
Renewable Energy Resources. This bill
would extend the current Renewable
Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 20% by 2010
to 33% by 2012. Last year, the governor
vetoed similar legislation and required
the California Air Resources Board to
implement a renewable energy program
to achieve the 33% target by 2020. It is
expected that the legislature will pass
a similar bill again this year, and will try
to work with the governor to codify the
targets in statute.
SB 1006 (Pavley): Strategic Growth
Council. Existing law requires the Strategic
Growth Council to coordinate programs
to improve air and water quality, improve
natural resource protection, increase the
availability of affordable housing, and
improve transportation, among other
things. SB 1006 would expand the scope of
the Council to include addressing climate
change impacts and would give it a direct
role in awarding financial assistance to
other agencies and programs.
SB1340 (Kehoe): Alternative Fuels and
Vehicle Technologies. The bill would
expand the Alternative and Renewable
Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program,
administered by the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development
Commission, include a cost-effective
program to provide funding for
homeowners who purchase an electric
vehicle to offset costs associated with
modifying electrical sources to include an
in-home residential plug-in electric vehicle
charging station.
AB2514 (Skinner): Energy Storage
Systems. California often experiences high
electricity demand at certain times of the
day. Traditional electricity generation in CA
often cannot produce enough electricity
to meet demand. Fossil-fuel burning
"peaker" plants are constructed to meet
this demand. Renewable energy resources
are becoming an integral component of
California's electrical portfolio, but often
produce energy intermittently; only
during the day in the case of solar energy,
or often at night in the case of wind. By
incorporating energy storage systems
into the electrical grid, excess renewable
energy may be temporarily sequestered
for later use. This strategy allows for a
greater incorporation of renewable energy
sources into Caifornia's electrical grid, while
offsetting the need to build new fossil fuel
peaker plants. This bill would require the
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), by
2011, to establish procurement targets for
each electrical corporation for viable and
cost-effective energy storage systems.
AB2329 (Ruskin and Chesbro):
Climate Action Team. This bill would
create the Climate Action Team (CAT),
under the direction of the Secretary for
Environmental Protection and consisting
of representatives from specified state
agencies, that would be responsible for
coordinating the state's overall climate
policy, identifying and reviewing activities
and funding programs, recommending
policies, investment strategies, and
priorities, and providing information to
local governments and regional agencies.
