Shane Levy, Sierra Club, shane.levy@sierraclub.org, 201-679-9507
Evan Gillespie, Sierra Club, evan.gillespie@sierraclub.org
Kathryn Phillips, Sierra Club California, kathryn.phillips@sierraclub.org, 916-893-8494
SACRAMENTO--The California Assembly adjourned early Saturday morning without taking up for a vote Senate Bill 100 (Kevin de Leon), a bill designed to get California to 100% clean energy by 2045. SB 100 would have accelerated the state’s existing goals for transitioning to renewable energy and would have set a 2045 goal for all retail electricity in the state to be created without greenhouse gas pollution.
The Assembly Energy and Utilities Chair, Chris Holden, said on Thursday that the bill did not have enough votes to get out of his committee, a hurdle it would have had to scale before being considered for a vote on the Assembly floor. Holden committed to continuing to work with the author on the bill to resolve issues raised by a labor lobbyist who helped block the bill.
Environmental, labor, justice and educational organizations across the states had long advocated for California to set a goal of moving to 100 percent clean energy, which would build on the state’s existing clean energy and climate leadership. Roughly 50 elected officials, dozens of businesses, and thousands of local California constituents supported and actively advocated for California to become the largest global economy to move to 100 percent clean energy. The Sierra Club alone counted more than 15,000 instances of direct outreach to Assembly members from the public through calls, social media, petitions and other engagement methods. Meanwhile, a variety of recently released reports demonstrated that setting strong clean energy commitments is already creating jobs in California communities and that the clean energy sector is attracting more diverse workers when compared with other energy sectors.
While supporters of the bill were disappointed in the outcome, communities and advocates across California are more committed than ever to moving California 100 percent clean energy and seeing a strong commitment be approved during next year’s legislative session.
Kathryn Phillips, Director of Sierra Club California, issued the following statement:
“We are determined to fight climate change and air pollution and one way to do that is to accelerate California’s transition to 100 percent clean energy. The decision to not move the bill this year is disappointing. But we are committed to moving this policy next year. There’s no time to waste.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.