Testimony: Evaluate quick pathways to 100% clean energy

Photo by California Natural Resources Agency | Public Domain

In 2018 we helped lead the charge for SB 100, and we’re pleased to see so much commitment to transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2045. We also sponsored SB 1020 last year to set more aggressive interim targets for clean energy. Setting these goals is critical, but just as important are our continued efforts to actually make this transition happen. 

Record breaking heat should remind us about the urgency and importance of this work. We need a quick, effective path to 100% clean energy that gets us off fossil fuels as soon as possible. We have all the technologies needed to generate our energy from clean sources, from solar power and storage, to offshore wind, to energy efficiency and more. We also have historic opportunities to catalyze clean energy deployment. With unprecedented funding opportunities from the Inflation Reduction Act to record state budget allocations for clean energy, California has the obligation to seize this moment.

The next SB 100 report should consider pathways to reach 100% clean energy by 2030 that thoroughly evaluate new and existing opportunities. Pathways should consider using commonsense yet underutilized spaces for solar panels, including the rooftops of big buildings, parking lots, and state-controlled land alongside highways. For instance, there is enough rooftop space on top of California’s warehouses and superstores to power 5.8 million households annually. The new report should include scenarios with robust rooftop solar adoption along with energy efficiency measures. Finally, the report should examine other emerging renewable energy sources like offshore wave and tidal power.

The alternative to bold climate action is even more expensive than the costs of deploying clean energy. To avoid increasing climate calamity, this report needs to consider the costs of delaying action and the benefits of a quick transition. We should also redirect the considerable funding in the form of subsidies and tax expenditures currently enjoyed by the fossil fuel industry to renewable energy instead. 

Together, we can expand the benefits of clean energy for all. Thank you.