California a Model for the Low Carbon Transition

May 22, 2015 – California has a lot of negatives going on right now. It is in the middle of the worst drought the state has experienced since records were kept, watching its in-state and out-of-state water reserves dry up. It is over populated and yet still a draw for tens of thousands of illegal immigrant crossing from Mexico each year. And it is perennially in debt.

With all that there is one area where the state is leading in a positive way. According to a report produced by Strategen Consulting, entitled, Impact Analysis: Governor Brown’s 2030 Energy Goals, renewable energy has California showing the rest of North America the positive benefits of investing in renewables.

The report analyzes data collected from 1990 to 2014 and looks at current projections from the three largest California public utilities. It concludes that from 2002 to 2012 California’s renewable energy investments have yielded 196,000 jobs. Renewable energy in 2012 represented 15% of all the energy the state produced and by mid-2014 grew to 23%. Meanwhile analysis shows that average residential electricity bills have dropped by 4% from 1990 while industrial electricity bills are 57% less.

According to Strategen, California is on track to hit 25% renewables by 2016, 33% by 2020 and 50% by 2030. And by 2030 investment in renewables is expected to add 1.2 million jobs and yield $51 billion U.S. in energy savings amounting to $4,000 per California household annually. Some of those savings will come from a drop in fuel imports which will mean keeping money in the state and growing its economy by $76 billion. Along with the 50% renewable target, California expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from current levels by 42% in 2030.

Stated Janice Lin, Managing Partner of Strategen, “People equate more aggressive environmental goals with higher costs, but there is a tremendous benefit to California from realizing these goals.” I’ll say.

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