by Brianna Crandall — April 18, 2011—A new California law requiring public utilities to get one-third of their electricity from renewable energy in less than a decade took effect on April 13, when it was signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
SBX1 2 increases California’s current 20 percent renewables portfolio standard (RPS) target in 2010 to a 33 percent RPS by December 31, 2020, making it the highest such standard in the United States, according to news from the federal Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
Brown said the measure would stimulate investment in green technologies in California, create new jobs, improve air quality, promote energy independence, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also indicated that with further renewable resources coming online and prices dropping, he could envision a 40 percent RPS in the future.
