California AB 722 goes down to … inattentiveness

The California Legislature ended its session without passing a budget, defeating a bill that would have banned the use of plastic carryout bags, advancing a bill to require ships transferring oil to be surrounded by a floating barrier and increasing the fee to pay for oil spill cleanup and ignoring to death AB 722, which would have (among other things) required (by law) utilities in the state to get 33% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Basically, the clock ran out.

Non-passage (which is different from defeating the bill) leaves the state's executive ordered 33% RPS vulnerable to passage of Proposition 23 in November.

Passing the state’s budget (not doing so puts even more crucial state services to schools, health clinics, counties, etc. at risk) should be top on the list for elected officials, but so should passing legislation for the state’s nation-leading 33% RPS.

AB 722 should be dubbed the real jobs bill for the potential increase in renewable industry jobs, including construction jobs, that would likely be created.

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