California: Assembly panel ends yearlong logjam on renewable-energy bills

The San Diego Union Tribune ^ | August 20, 2002 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Lawmakers busy with 2 weeks to go

ASSOCIATED PRESS

August 20, 2002

SACRAMENTO – A measure that would require utilities to have 20 percent of their electricity produced from renewable sources passed a key legislative committee yesterday.

As the Legislature entered its final two weeks of the session, lawmakers also took votes to update abortion laws, set requirements for state school board members and keep closer track of campaign contributions.

The energy bill, by Sen. Byron Sher, D-Stanford, gives the utilities until 2017 to meet the threshold, increasing the requirement each year until then.

Environmental groups have warned that the state is becoming too dependent on natural gas-fired power plants, leaving it vulnerable to price spikes.

Sher's bill, and a companion bill that allows funds raised by a public-goods charge to be used to help offset the higher cost of renewable energy, were approved by the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee after languishing there for a year.

Southern California Edison supported the bill, but it was opposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and Sempra, which owns San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

In other action:

The Assembly approved a new California Reproductive Privacy Act, which deletes old and conflicting abortion laws from the books and updates language to include use of drugs, such as RU-486.

The bill was approved 44-23, sending it to the desk of Gov. Gray Davis.

The Assembly approved a bill that aims to help the public track independent expenditures in election campaigns.

SB 2095 by Sen. Ross Johnson, R-Irvine, would require the secretary of state's Web site to link independent expenditures to candidates or ballot measures they're intended to help or defeat.

A Senate committee approved a measure to create strict eligibility requirements for members of the State Board of Education.

The bill is intended to make sure the board, made up of mostly business executives and former politicians, is "a more diverse and representative entity."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See the NY Times article posted here:

Economic Interests Keep Drive for Renewable Energy Stuck in Neutral

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

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[nightdriver]

"SACRAMENTO – A measure that would require utilities to have 20 percent of their electricity produced from renewable sources passed a key legislative committee yesterday."

The ultimate expression of arrogance by those who think they're gods by being elected. Are they going to "require" that the sun shine and the wind blow a certain percent of the time too? How about timing. Are they going to mandate that the wind and sun produce power just at the time people use it?

Sheesh!! Liberalism must mean being liberated from the thought process.

[Dog Gone]

Sher's bill, and a companion bill that allows funds raised by a public-goods charge to be used to help offset the higher cost of renewable energy, were approved by the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee after languishing there for a year.

I wonder what the deal is with that companion bill. But, I think we know. It's a TAX imposed on something to subsidize the uneconomic renewable energy sources.

The upshot is that Californians will pay even more for their energy in the future and be taxed more as well. However, they will all feel good about themselves and the environment.