eNews Update | November 2015 | www.clean-economy.org

Last month I was honored to witness Governor Brown's signing of SB 350, the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 (pictured at right),authored by Senate President pro Tem Kevin De León. The powerful duo of renewable energy and building efficiency policies in SB 350 will provide further certainty for businesses to invest in and reap the benefits from California's clean energy economy.

Many California Business Alliance members and supporters played a critical role in advocating for the passage of SB 350 including CERES, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, CALSTART, Small Business California, LYFT, US Green Building Council California and many more.

In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Governor Brown said, "We are talking about the big world of avoiding climate catastrophe, but we are talking about the immediate world of people living in Riverside, Los Angeles and other places. This is big. It is big because it is global in scope, but it is also big because it is local in application."

The final law that passed the California Legislature thanks to Senator De León's leadership remains a strong one, despite massive oil industry opposition that resulted in the removal a component of the bill addressing petroleum reduction. With laws like SB 350, AB 32, and other landmark clean energy and transportation policies approved over the last two decades, California will continue to lead, grow and prosper. Thanks to all of you for being part of the mainstream business movement supporting our state's climate leadership.

~Susan Frank
Director, California Business Alliance

News Header2

Climate change will be an economic disaster for rich and poor, new study says

Los Angeles Times - October 26

Companies, public sector unveil push for electric vehicles, charging stations in California
U.S. News & World Report - October 15

California Leads the Way on Climate
New York Times - October 12

California's landmark renewable energy law to be signed on Wednesday

San Jose Mercury News - October 6

California Leads a Quiet Revolution

New York Times - October 4

Green energy, economic growth go together

Capitol Weekly - October 2

California Means Business (CMB)

Recent CMB News Highlights

The 50 Happiest Companies in the U.S.

Twenty-six of the 50 happiest companies in the U.S. are based in California. Earlier this year, CareerBliss created a list of the 50 happiest companies in America. To determine which companies made the grade, CareerBliss reviewed thousands of company reviews from visitors to its website--grading such things as work-life balance, relationship with boss and co-workers, work environment, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, and more.

Inc. Magazine 10/29/15

States with the Most Fortune 500 Companies
Apple, Google, Facebook, Netflix and Saleforce are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies that call California home.
Fortune Magazine 10/23/2015

"American Horror Story" among shows not scared of California film tax breaks

"American Horror Story," "Veep" and 20 other film and television projects expected to benefit from an expanded tax credit program will generate an estimated $1.07 billion in local spending in California, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday. During a visit to the Century City set of "American Horror Story: Hotel", Garcetti said the state is "fighting back against runaway production," now that lawmakers have expanded to $330 million its pot of incentives aimed at luring projects back to California over five years.
Los Angeles Daily News 10/09/2015

Click here to read more CMB news.

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Op-Ed Highlight

State Helps Steer Nation on Carbon

by John Boesel and Ruben Guerra
LA Business Journal
October 12, 2015

As California motors its way toward a more secure, less volatile and more efficient economy, the financial benefits provided by the Low Carbon Fuel Standard are noteworthy. We and the hundreds of businesses we represent applaud the state's Air Resources Board for its re-adoption last month of this landmark transportation policy.

The LCFS works because it provides certainty to California businesses. Certainty breeds confidence and confidence fuels investment. The LCFS requires a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020, as measured on a lifecycle basis. That means from cradle to tailpipe, the cleaner fuels of today and the future would emit fewer dangerous greenhouse gases into the air than conventional fuels.

California boasts more than 40,000 businesses serving advanced energy markets, and these businesses employ more than 430,000 people. The LCFS is driving strong investment in alternative fuels, and is expected to result in $1.4 billion to $4.8 billion in energy and environmental security benefits by 2020 while also creating thousands of jobs. The LCFS, working together with the state's emissions cap on transportation fuels, is expected to result in $10.4 billion in avoided costs related to energy insecurity, health care and climate change by 2020.

John Boesel is chief executive of Alliance member CALSTART, which works with business, fleets and government to develop and implement clean, efficient transportation solutions. Ruben Guerra, founder of Municipal Energy Solutions, is chairman and chief executive of Alliance member Latin Business Association, the nation's largest Latino business trade organization.

Read the full article here.

californiadeliversinlandempire

News Highlight

Top 10 States Ranked in

Energy Efficiency Scorecard

Five Most Improved States: MD, IL, DC, CA, and TX

Energy efficiency measures continue to flourish in states across the country, with several states - including California, Maryland, Illinois, Texas and the nation's capital, Washington, DC - taking major steps that improved their scores in the ninth annual edition of the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The State Scorecard ranking is issued annually with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy.

ACEEE executive director Steve Nadel said: "As states move to frame their plans under the federal Clean Power Plan, this year marks a tipping point for energy efficiency. State policies are increasingly encouraging utilities to invest in cost-effective efficiency, prompting them to adopt new business models that align their interests with those of customers and policymakers. We can see this taking hold in the 20 states that improved their Scorecard rank in 2015. Utilities across the United States invested more than $7 billion in energy efficiency over the past year alone."

Read the full press release here.

californiadeliversinlandempire

Small Business Funding Highlight

EPA Announces $1.9 Million to Help Small Businesses Support the Clean Energy Economy

EPA recently announced that it will provide $1.9 million to 19 small businesses to develop and commercialize technologies that tackle critical environmental problems.

Each of the 19 companies will receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract for up to $100,000 to develop their green technology. When the project is commercially viable, the companies will be eligible to apply for a Phase II contract of up to $300,000 to develop and commercialize their clean energy technology for the marketplace.

Learn how to apply.

Member Event Highlight

Join Alliance member Silicon Valley Leadership Group on November 12 at Hitachi in Santa Clara to engage companies and government agencies in a discussion about the direction for the distributed, data-driven grid of the future. The Summit will feature case studies for how the grid is delivering smarter energy, analytics, and outcomes for customers now. The Summit will also address what is the best market structure design for the future and what is the best distribution design for the future, and what policies are necessary to achieve those designs.

Follow this event on Twitter: #FutureGrid15.

To learn more and register, click here.

Best,

Susan Frank
Director, California Business Alliance

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

November 3-5
Business for Social Responsibility Conference

(San Francisco)

November 5-6
REFF West: The 8th Renewable FinanceEnergy Forum
(San Francisco)

November 6
Path to Positive: Los Angeles Climate Day
(Los Angeles)

November 12
Grid of the Future Summit
(Santa Clara)
(Learn More)

November 12
11th Annual Green Gala: The Road to GreenBuild
(Los Angeles)

January 24-26
Verde Exchange
(Los Angeles)

January 25-27
CleanTech Forum
(San Francisco)

March 8-10

Climate Leadership Conference

(Seattle)

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