Contact: Richard Stapler
Governor Newsom Signs The Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1020, the Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022 authored by State Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz). The bill is a product of months of collaboration between members of the Senate Climate Working Group, established by Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and advocates committed to forging a path for a greener future for all Californians. Additionally, the bill will give greater accountability to California’s electric sector climate commitments.
“It has not been an easy path to this momentous accomplishment for all members of the Senate Climate Work Group and all of the advocates who labored tirelessly for legislation that is both groundbreaking and achievable,” explained Laird. “Senate Bill 1020 is our collective victory in equipping California to meet the urgent challenges of climate change, adaptation, and resiliency through an equitable lens. We cannot afford to wait for a better time for progress, and the accelerated goals established in SB 1020 reflect this urgency. I thank everyone involved for their hard work in getting us here, and I thank Governor Newsom for signing this historic legislation into law.”
SB 1020 adds interim targets to the policy framework originally established in SB 100 (DeLeón, Chapter 312, Statutes of 2018) to require renewable energy and zero-carbon resources to supply 90% of all retail electricity sales by 2035 and 95% of all retail electricity sales by 2040. The inclusion of interim targets will ensure that the state makes steady and accountable progress towards the full decarbonization of California’s electricity grid.
The bill also requires all state agencies to rely on 100% renewable energy and zero-carbon resources to serve their own facilities by 2035. This accelerated target puts state agencies at the forefront of efforts to decarbonize the grid and demonstrate leadership by example.
Lastly, the bill encourages better information-sharing and coordination on transmission planning to authorize the CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and CA Energy Commission (CEC) to disclose certain confidential information to the CA Independent System Operator (CAISO) in order to speed up and streamline siting and construction of transmission in order to meet our clean energy targets. This provision was also an SB 100 Joint Agency recommendation.
“Where California leads, the world follows. The fate of our climate future is a shared responsibility and I am grateful for Governor Newsom’s partnership in our efforts,” said Senator Laird.
The bill will take effect January 1, 2023.
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Senator John Laird represents the 17th State Senate District, which includes all of Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties, the majority of Monterey County, as well as parts of Santa Clara County. He previously served as the Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, member of the State Integrated Waste Management Board, a member of the State Assembly, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Aids Project, and two terms as Santa Cruz Mayor. His lifetime of public service and social justice advocacy saw him become one of the first openly gay mayors to serve in the United States. Senator Laird has been a long-time resident of Santa Cruz with his spouse John Flores.