California Enacts Law To Use 50 Percent Renewable Electricity By 2030

On October 7, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed S.B. 350, The Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 (the Act). The law will require the percent of electricity produced from renewable sources to increase over stages until 2030 when 50 percent of electricity used in California will be produced using renewable sources. While the majority of renewable electricity is expected to come from solar and wind power, the Act encourages use of diverse energy sources, including biomass, geothermal, and transportation electrification. The original draft of the Act included a requirement to reduce the use of petroleum in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent through the use of non-petroleum, low-carbon fuels and increased fuel efficiency, but was cut before the final legislation was passed.