Thanks to several last-minute proposals, California lawmakers have passed several bills aimed at lowering electricity bills and increasing air pollution monitoring around refineries and pipelines.
On Sept. 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced that they had reached an agreement on crucial energy, climate, and affordability bills. The 11th-hour move was completed just before the legislative session was set to end on Sept. 12.
As Utility Dive reported, the late addition of so many energy bills is not typical of a legislative session. Independent Energy Producers Association CEO Jan Smutny-Jones noted that while the bills were likely to have passed regardless, "there was talk at one point about special sessions" to make sure that the package crossed the finish line.
"After months of hard work with the Legislature, we have agreed to historic reforms that will save money on your electric bills, stabilize gas supply, and slash toxic air pollution — all while fast-tracking California's transition to a clean, green job-creating economy," Newsom said in a statement.
The significant package of energy and climate bills includes an extension of the Cap and Invest climate program through 2045. The program was designed to benefit neighborhoods hardest hit by pollution by injecting tens of billions of dollars into the state's economy through investments in clean energy, local transit and rail projects, and affordable and sustainable housing development.
The package also aims to lower electricity bills by streamlining utility grid investments and promoting the use of flexible grid resources. Bills like AB 825 and SB 840 were designed to increase the state's Climate Credit and expand the regional power market to enhance grid reliability and clean energy sharing across the Western U.S.
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"Clean, renewable energy is the best way to increase energy affordability in California," State Assemblymember Isaac Bryan said. "As we move forward with our incredibly ambitious — and achievable — goals to phase out fossil fuels, we must also ensure that communities most impacted by the generational harms of pollution and climate change are prioritized."
"Solving the real challenges in our state isn't easy, but it's necessary. That is what we have done this legislative session," added Bryan.
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