California Governor Jerry Brown Calls for 50% Renewables by 2030

Source: Green Tech Media

California Gov. Jerry Brown has upped the ante on the state’s green energy goals, calling for a big increase in renewable energy, alternative fuels and building efficiency over the next 15 years -- along with the smart grid investments to put them to use.

In his Monday inaugural address, Brown proposed an ambitious expansion of California’s renewable energy goals, from one-third by 2020 to 50 percent by 2030 -- a goal that’s now open to state policymakers by the passage of AB 327 last year.

Brown also proposed that the state set guidelines to cut fossil fuel use in cars and trucks in half over the next 15 years, and double energy efficiency in existing buildings over the same time. Both proposals would push California beyond its already aggressive goals for vehicle fuel economy and increased efficiency in building codes.

California is already on target to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goals called for in AB 32, the state law passed in 2006, Brown noted. But “these efforts, impressive though they are, are not enough” to meet the goal set by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a majority of climate scientists to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, he said.



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