eNews Update | August 2015 | www.clean-economy.org            Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter

    

  
The investment and job benefits of California's clean energy economy are becoming more evident by the day and the most recent PPIC poll confirms that the vast majority of Californians support our state's effective climate policies. 

California Delivers, the broad and diverse coalition endorsed by the Alliance and focused on protecting, implementing and extending the benefits of AB 32 beyond 2020, recently held a press event in the Inland Empire with State Assemblymember José Medina to celebrate the more than $2 billion from climate investments that will be granted in communities and for projects around the state through July 2016.

I also encourage you to read former State Controller Steve Westly's recent Huffington Post blog: Fighting Climate Change Is Good for California's Economy.

As always, we've highlighted the latest clean energy news from the past month and have included a growing number of events throughout the state that you won't want to miss in our calendar at a glance.

Thank you for your ongoing support of California's clean energy economy. I encourage you to follow our Twitter and Facebook feeds for daily updates in addition to the monthly eNews summary.

 

~Susan Frank
Director, California Business Alliance

News Header2

 

Sacramento Bee - July 29

Reuters - July 26

KNBC - July 24
Sacramento Bee - July 23
CMBCalifornia Means Business (CMB)
 
Recent CMB News Highlights

CALIFORNIA DOESN'T DESERVE ITS BAD FOR BUSINESS REPUTATION

If you were to ask me why California is great for business, there is one major reason: the people. California has always attracted people who want to do something new - whether it's panning for gold or founding the next great start-up. This same spirit has driven decades of research-led innovation in Silicon Valley, fueled by some of the best universities in the country, the nation's top venture capital firms, and companies on a mission to change the world.
CNBC 7/14/2015

 

Click here to read more CMB news.
californiadeliversinlandempire
Event Highlight

California Clean Energy Program Brings Millions in Investments: Energy Training and Transit to Riverside County
$2 billion in funding statewide from California Climate Investments Program

State and local leaders gathered at the Jimenez home in Perris (Salvador Jimenez pictured below left) to laud the state's landmark Climate Investment program that provided funds for GRID Alternatives to install free solar panels on a low-income home in the Inland Empire.

    

"California's climate policies are delivering results for communities right here in Riverside County," said Assemblyman José Medina (pictured below right). "It's vital that we continue to press forward on clean energy policies that save consumers money, combat climate change and create good jobs for Californians."  

 

The funding for today's installation was generated by California's AB 32 cap and trade program, whose proceeds are being invested in projects that reduce greenhouse gases that cause climate change. A significant portion of the funds from the program is targeted to communities like Perris that have been impacted by pollution and are home to economically disadvantaged residents. By law, a minimum of 25% of these climate investments must be targeted to disadvantaged communities. 

 

"These investments have a triple benefit for the community," said Bambi Tran, Regional Director of GRID Alternatives Inland Empire. "Clean energy, savings on utility bills for families, and hands-on job training in the solar industry, which is adding jobs at a rate of 20 percent a year.  

 

Read the full press release here.

New Poll Highlight
    

Majority of Californians Support State Efforts to Limit Emissions

A recent polling study found that a solid majority of Californians believe that global warming is already having an impact, and nearly two-thirds of residents say it has contributed to the state's current drought, according to a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Solid majorities of Californians (69% adults, 63% likely voters) favor AB 32, the 2006 state law that requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Most Californians have favored this law since PPIC began asking about it in July 2006. 

 
"The threat of global warming to the state's future is a shared belief among inland and coastal residents and Californians across racial and ethnic groups," said Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO. 

 

Read the full report here.

Featured Op-Ed
    
Fighting Climate Change Is Good 
for California's Economy


By Steve Westly, Former CA State Controller; Managing Partner, The Westly Group and Fred Keeley, Board of Advisors, Clean Coalition
The Huffington Post
July 10, 2015

 

California has been the epicenter of innovation in America over the last 100 years. Our companies have revolutionized the entertainment, agriculture, transportation, energy, and technology sectors. Today, it is increasingly clear that clean energy is the next frontier in the innovation economy. California already has a head start.

 

Venture capital investments have poured into the clean energy sector, providing more than $27 billion to California companies in the past 10 years. Driven in part by earlier emissions reduction targets, California's renewable energy use doubled from 11% in 2008 to over 20% in 2014. That growth created hundreds of thousands of new jobs. In the past five years, the solar workforce alone has grown from 93,000 workers to 173,000 - an 86% increase. In just the past two years, the clean energy sector created over 120,000 new jobs across the country, over 15,000 of which were in California. The vast majority of these jobs pay well above the state average.


To read the entire op-ed, click here.

pathwayto2050Event Highlight

PATHWAY to 2050
August 20
Pathway to 2050 is Advanced Energy Economy's annual Sacramento event that brings together an influential group of advanced energy business leaders and state policy-makers to discuss opportunities to accelerate California's economy through the growth of advanced energy. Pathway to 2050 will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center on August 20 from 9:00am - 4:30pm.


This year's event topics will explore the following questions:

  • How do utility business models change as they absorb a rapid influx of advanced energy technologies?
  • What innovative finance mechanisms can be used to maximize the impact of cap and trade revenues?
  • How can California most cost-effectively achieve an RPS goal of 50%?
  • What can be done to significantly increase the energy efficiency of homes and businesses?

Admission to the event is complimentary for AEE Members and government officials. Register today to take advantage of early bird pricing.

 

Register for Pathway to 2050

womeningreenEvent Highlight

6th Annual Women In Green Forum
August 26
TreePeople Conference Center
Los Angeles, California

 

The 6th Annual Women In Green Forum, the premier conference highlighting women's impact on the environmental industry, offers interactive sessions, career workshops, networking opportunities, eco exhibits, and a clean vehicle ride & drive. The Forum provides a one-stop-shop for attendees to develop effective relationships with key players in the environmental industry.

 

Some of this year's featured speakers include:
 

  • Barbara Bouza, Managing Director, Principal, Gensler
  • Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic, President & CEO,
    A Sustainable Production
  • Jessalyn Ishigo, Environmental Product and Policy Analyst, American Honda
  • Loris Tierney, President and CEO, Tierney Management, LLC
  • Jen Boynton, Editor-In-Chief, Triple Pundit


 

Experience a truly unique event set high in the hills of Los Angeles. Alliance members can receive a 10% discount using the code "partnerctc".

greenschoolsEvent Highlight
 
Opening the Door to a Greener Future
October 29-30 
Pasadena Convention Center
Pasadena, California 

 

Schools are uniquely poised to open the door to a greener future. They will likely be the first place most students encounter determined efforts to conserve energy and water or to reduce waste. They can help students understand the relationships between human needs and activities and the ecosystems on which all life forms depend.
 

California has long been on the leading edge of the green schools movement; it was here that the nation's first green building rating program for K-12 schools was created. Through the Education and the Environment Initiative, the state created the country's first K-12 environmental literacy curriculum.

 

The first - and the largest - statewide green school event, the Summit, provides a unique opportunity for leaders from the nation's largest public education system to discover new ways to create healthy, efficient learning environments. Through an Expo featuring green products and services, concurrent education sessions, keynote presentations and an annual Leadership Awards program, the Summit offers a unique opportunity to discover what's new, what is working and what is on the horizon.

 

To register or learn more, click here. 

Best,
SF signature
Susan Frank
Director, California Business Alliance

calendarCALENDAR AT A GLANCE

 

August 4-7


August 11
Solar Financing Network
(Van Nuys)

August 20

Pathway to 2050

(Sacramento)

Read More 
 

(Los Angeles)

Read More

(Santa Monica) 

 

September 30 - October 1

October 8-18


October 13-15
Energy Storage North America
(San Diego)
(Washington, DC)

October 21-22
 LACI CleanTech GlobalShowcase
(GloSho) 2015
(Los Angeles)

October 26-29
 Verge
(San Jose)

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susan@clean-economy.org 

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