Desert Sun
By Mark Olalde
California's legislative session came to a wild ending in 2020 when the clock ran out on major bills. Key pieces of environmental legislation were among those that died on the floor, and conservationists are hoping 2021 brings a different story...
Here are 17 bills to track in the environment space this session...[they include:]
SB 67: Speeding up clean-energy goals
This bill, filed by Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, aims to accelerate the timeline for meeting the state's clean energy goals. Currently, California has through 2045 to procure all its electricity from zero-carbon and renewable sources. While the bill doesn't yet specify a new target date, it does call for an earlier date and will likely undergo further amendments.
In the press release announcing the bill, Becker said he wanted a "24/7 Clean Energy Standard," which would require more renewable energy coming to the grid at all hours of the day, not just when wind and solar resources are at their peaks.