CCSE’s Andrew McAllister, director of policy and strategy, spoke at a hearing of the California Assembly’s Select Committee on California’s Clean Energy Economy on Thursday, Aug. 4, during a session on clean energy job growth and state policies on energy efficiency.

CCSE offered forum for local candidates

Candidates rivaling for local, state and national offices gathered at CCSE for the Candidates Forum on Sustainability on Saturday, Oct. 2. Each candidate, including many third-party candidates, described to local constituents their accomplishments and endeavors related to environmental, energy, transportation and sustainability-related issues.

The California legislature’s regular session ended August 31 with numerous sustainability bills headed to the governor’s desk for signature. California’s pending energy legislation focuses on greenhouse gas emission mitigation through implementation of energy efficiency, renewable and clean energy solutions and jobs.

New Hope for HOME STAR
By Jennifer Green

After several days of Congressional wrangling by Democrat and Republican leaders, HOME STAR has been tucked into an energy bill introduced July 28. HOME STAR is a proposed energy efficiency program that seeks to create jobs. According to Grist magazine, the program has the potential to create 168,000 jobs and save $9 billion in electricity bills over 10 years. The $5 billion rebate program is slated to last two years.

Efforts to Repeal California’s Global Warming Solutions Act

The landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32) that put California forward as the nation’s leader in reducing greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions with the goal to achieve 1990 levels by 2020 is in jeopardy of being postponed indefinitely. Proposition 23, the California Jobs Initiative, seeks to suspend AB 32, claiming that unemployment in California and the undertaking of GHG emission reduction laws are inextricably linked. Supporters, sponsored by oil companies Tesoro and Valero, state that California has lost manufacturing jobs and that industrial growth in California lags compared to other states, a situation they say will worsen unless AB 32 is stopped.