San​ ​Bernardino​ ​County​ ​Leaders​ ​Urge​ ​California Lawmakers​ ​to​ ​Pass​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​for​ ​100%​ ​Clean​ ​Energy

Environment California

Fontana​ ​-​ ​Local​ ​supporters,​ ​city​ ​and​ ​state​ ​officials,​ ​faith​ ​groups,​ ​and​ ​environmental​ ​groups​ ​gathered at​ ​the​ ​site​ ​of​ ​the​ ​former​ ​Kaiser​ ​Steel​ ​Plant​ ​to​ ​urge​ ​passage​ ​of​ ​Senate​ ​Bill​ ​100​ ​(De​ ​León).​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​will ensure​ ​that​ ​California​ ​generates​ ​100%​ ​of​ ​its​ ​electricity​ ​from​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​sources​ ​by​ ​2045.

“We​ ​are​ ​100%​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​100%​ ​clean​ ​energy,”​ ​said​ ​Bret​ ​Weinberger,​ ​organizer​ ​with​ ​Environment California.​ ​“Clean​ ​energy​ ​is​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our​ ​planet,​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our​ ​communities,​ ​and​ ​good​ ​for​ ​our economy.​ ​We​ ​must​ ​take​ ​action​ ​now​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​a​ ​100%​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​future​ ​for​ ​California.”

Yassi​ ​Kavezade,​ ​Organizing​ ​Representative​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Sierra​ ​Club’s​ ​My​ ​Generation​ ​campaign,​ ​stated, “​We​ ​are​ ​here​ ​today​ ​in​ ​the​ ​industrial​ ​center​ ​of​ ​Fontana.​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​will​ ​not​ ​only​ ​pave​ ​the​ ​way​ ​towards​ ​a clean​ ​powered​ ​solution​ ​for​ ​our​ ​communities​ ​and​ ​schools​ ​but​ ​a​ ​future​ ​that​ ​could​ ​benefit​ ​our workers​ ​too.​ ​Everyone​ ​deserves​ ​the​ ​right​ ​to​ ​access​ ​affordable,​ ​clean,​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​and​ ​we​ ​are today​ ​to​ ​support​ ​SB​ ​100​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​lasting,​ ​clean​ ​future​ ​for​ ​all.”

SB​ ​100​ ​has​ ​passed​ ​the​ ​State​ ​Senate​ ​and​ ​now​ ​awaits​ ​a​ ​vote​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Assembly​ ​floor.​ ​Action​ ​is​ ​needed before​ ​the​ ​legislative​ ​session​ ​ends​ ​for​ ​the​ ​year​ ​on September​ ​15,​ ​2017.

California​ ​passed​ ​its​ ​first​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​standard​ ​in​ ​2002​ ​(Sher).​ ​The​ ​first​ ​law​ ​required​ ​California energy​ ​providers​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​17%​ ​of​ ​their​ ​electricity​ ​from​ ​renewable​ ​sources​ ​by​ ​2020.​ ​Subsequent bills​ ​have​ ​ramped​ ​up​ ​the​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​standard.​ ​SB​ ​350​ ​(De​ ​León)​ ​was​ ​the​ ​last​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​bill​ ​to pass​ ​two​ ​years​ ​ago,​ ​requiring​ ​that​ ​California​ ​energy​ ​providers​ ​generate​ ​50%​ ​renewable​ ​electricity by​ ​2030.

California​ ​utilities​ ​are​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​the​ ​current​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​goals​ ​that​ ​have​ ​been​ ​enshrined​ ​in​ ​law.

Fontana​ ​USD​ ​School​ ​Board​ ​President​ ​Mary​ ​Sandoval​ ​stated,​ ​”As​ ​a​ ​school​ ​board​ ​member​ ​I​ ​am especially​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​how​ ​[clean​ ​energy]​ ​impacts​ ​the​ ​future​ ​of​ ​our​ ​children.​ ​Sustainable​ ​energy solutions​ ​can​ ​provide​ ​major​ ​opportunities​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​improving​ ​their​ ​health,​ ​education,​ ​well-being and​ ​development.”

At​ ​the​ ​conference,​ ​the​ ​office​ ​of​ ​Assemblymember​ ​Freddie​ ​Rodriguez​ ​awarded​ ​Fontana​ ​USD​ ​a Certificate​ ​of​ ​Recognition​ ​for​ ​outstanding​ ​work​ ​towards​ ​installing​ ​solar​ ​on​ ​43​ ​of​ ​their​ ​school properties​ ​and​ ​generating​ ​80%​ ​of​ ​their​ ​energy​ ​from​ ​renewable​ ​sources.

“Fontana​ ​Unified​ ​School​ ​District​ ​has​ ​a​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​Tesla​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​been​ ​incorporating renewable​ ​energy​ ​at​ ​their​ ​facilities,”​ ​stated​ ​Jessica​ ​Figueroa,​ ​District​ ​Representative​ ​for​ ​Assm. Rodriguez.​ ​“I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​recognize​ ​Mary​ ​Sandoval​ ​and​ ​[Mayor​ ​Pro​ ​Tem​ ​City​ ​of​ ​Fontana]​ ​Jesse​ ​Sandoval for​ ​[their]​ ​clean​ ​and​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​work​ ​for​ ​Fontana​ ​USD.”

A​ ​recent​ ​report​ ​by​ ​Environment​ ​California​ ​Research​ ​&​ ​Policy​ ​Center​ ​found​ ​that​ ​California​ ​has​ ​seen a​ ​2,583%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​electricity​ ​it​ ​gets​ ​from​ ​the​ ​sun​ ​and​ ​a​ ​245%​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​wind power​​production​​over​​the​​past​​decade.​​The ​​report,​ Renewables on the Rise,​ ​makes​​ the​ ​case​​ that the​ ​progress​ ​we’ve​ ​seen​ ​in​ ​California​ ​and​ ​around​ ​the​ ​country​ ​on​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​and technologies​ ​like​ ​battery​ ​storage​ ​and​ ​electric​ ​cars​ ​should​ ​give​ ​Californians​ ​the​ ​confidence​ ​that​ ​we can​ ​take​ ​clean​ ​energy​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​level.

Dr.​ ​Tom​ ​Helliwell​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Pomona​ ​Valley​ ​Interfaith​ ​Sustainability​ ​Council​ ​concluded:​ ​“We​ ​need​ ​to move​ ​toward​ ​the​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​using​ ​only​ ​clean,​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​sources.​ ​California​ ​can​ ​be​ ​the​ ​‘City​ ​on the​ ​Hill’​ ​showing​ ​our​ ​nation​ ​and​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​world​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​done.”