Gov. Newsom signs new package of green legislation

On Friday, September 16, California enacted some of the nation’s most aggressive climate measures in history as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of legislation to cut pollution, protect Californians from big polluters, and accelerate the state’s transition to clean energy. The Governor partnered with legislative leaders this session to advance groundbreaking measures to achieve carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and 90% clean energy by 2035, establish new setback measures protecting communities from oil drilling, capture carbon pollution from the air, advance nature-based solutions, and more.

This is an essential piece of the California Climate Commitment (pdf), a record $54 billion investment in climate action that exceeds what most countries are spending and advances economic opportunity and environmental justice in communities across the state.

Over the next two decades, the California Climate Commitment will:

• Create 4 million new jobs
• Cut air pollution by 60%
• Reduce state oil consumption by 91%
• Save California $23 billion by avoiding the damages of pollution
• Reduce fossil fuel use in buildings and transportation by 92%
• Cut refinery pollution by 94%

Taken together, these measures represent the most significant action on the climate crisis in California’s history and raises the bar for governments around the world.

“This month has been a wake-up call for all of us that later is too late to act on climate change. California isn’t waiting any more,” said Governor Newsom. “Together with the Legislature, California is taking the most aggressive action on climate our nation has ever seen. We’re cleaning the air we breathe, holding the big polluters accountable, and ushering in a new era for clean energy. That’s climate action done the California Way – and we’re not only doubling down, we’re just getting started.”

In Vallejo, Governor Newsom signs sweeping climate measures into law
With multiple oil refineries in the distance, the Governor signed the legislation alongside legislative leaders at the USDA Forest Service Regional Office on Mare Island, a facility powered by clean energy that also feeds the grid.

“Our state has been facing extreme temperatures, putting our communities, especially our most vulnerable neighbors, at risk. We’re also continuing to deal with an historic drought and the ongoing threat of wildfires. The challenges of climate change are here, and this Legislative session, we took bold action to address these severe conditions and mitigate future risk both through our state budget and key legislation,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego). “We established ambitious and necessary goals to reduce carbon emission and increase renewable energy. We provided the tools industry needs to capture and store carbon before it hits the atmosphere. And we invested in critical infrastructure programs that will keep us firmly planted on the path to a greener future, while simultaneously creating jobs that will support families across the state. California has, and will continue to, lead the nation on not only addressing the worsening climate crisis, but finding proactive solutions.”

“It’s great to see California and the Governor celebrating our collective dedication to climate response. The Assembly has initiated this kind of legislation for years, and put forward some of these bills more than a year ago,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “That makes it especially heartening to be able to enact a package like this as a team. I look forward to working on additional climate change legislation with the Governor and the Senate. We are just getting started.”

The climate package signed today includes:

• CARBON NEUTRALITY: AB 1279 by Assemlymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) codifies the statewide carbon neutrality goal to dramatically reduce climate pollution.
  • Establishes a clear, legally binding, and achievable goal for California to achieve statewide carbon neutrality as soon as possible, and no later than 2045, and establishes an 85% emissions reduction target as part of that goal.
• PROTECT COMMUNITIES AGAINST OIL DRILLING: SB 1137 by Senators Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) and Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) protects communities from the harmful impacts of the oil industry.
  • Establishes a setback distance of 3,200 feet between any new oil well and homes, schools, parks or businesses open to the public.
  • Ensures comprehensive pollution controls for existing oil wells within 3,200 feet of these facilities.
• 100% CLEAN ELECTRIC GRID: SB 1020 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) establishes a pathway toward the state’s clean energy future.
  • Creates clean electricity targets of 90% by 2035 and 95% by 2040 with the intent of advancing the state’s trajectory to the existing 100% clean electricity retail sales by 2045 goal.
• CAPTURING AND REMOVING CARBON POLLUTION: SB 905 by Senators Anna Caballero (D-Merced) and Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and SB 1314 by Senator Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) advance engineered technologies to remove carbon pollution, while banning the use of those technologies for enhanced oil recovery.
  • Establishes a clear regulatory framework for carbon removal and carbon capture, utilization and sequestration.
  • Bans the practice of injecting carbon dioxide for the purpose of enhanced oil recovery.
• NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS: AB 1757 by Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) enlists nature in the state’s climate agenda.
  • Requires the state to develop an achievable carbon removal target for natural and working lands.

Last week, Governor Newsom signed legislation to help protect Californians from more frequent and severe heat waves driven by climate change. This month’s legislative action comes on the heels of California enacting a world-leading regulation to phase out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

In a July letter to the Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Governor Newsom called for the state to ensure that the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan provides a path to achieve both the 2030 climate goal and state carbon neutrality no later than 2045, requesting that the final plan incorporate new efforts to advance offshore wind, clean fuels, climate-friendly homes, carbon removal and address methane leaks.

The full set of bills the Governor signed that work toward achieving the state’s climate goals include:

• AB 1279 by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) – The California Climate Crisis Act.
• AB 1384 by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) – Resiliency Through Adaptation, Economic Vitality, and Equity Act of 2022.
• AB 1389 by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) – Clean Transportation Program: project funding preferences.
• AB 1749 by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) – Community emissions reduction programs: toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants.
• AB 1757 by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) – California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: climate goal: natural and working lands.
• AB 1857 by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) – Solid waste.
• AB 1909 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) – Vehicles: bicycle omnibus bill.
• AB 1985 by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) – Organic waste: recovered organic waste product procurement targets.
• AB 2061 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Transportation electrification: electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
• AB 2075 by Assemblymember Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) – Energy: electric vehicle charging standards.
• AB 2108 by Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) – Water policy: environmental justice: disadvantaged and tribal communities.
• AB 2204 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath (D-Encinitas) – Clean energy: Labor and Workforce Development Agency: Deputy Secretary for Climate.
• AB 2278 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) – Natural resources: biodiversity and conservation report.
• AB 2316 by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) – Public Utilities Commission: customer renewable energy subscription programs and the community renewable energy program.
• AB 2440 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) – Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022.
• AB 2446 by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) – Embodied carbon emissions: construction materials.
• AB 2622 by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) – Sales and use taxes: exemptions: California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project: transit buses.
• AB 2700 by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) – Transportation electrification: electrical distribution grid upgrades.
• AB 2836 by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) – Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program: vehicle registration fees: California tire fee.
• SB 379 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Residential solar energy systems: permitting.
• SB 529 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Electricity: electrical transmission facilities.
• SB 887 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Electricity: transmission facility planning.
• SB 905 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) – Carbon sequestration: Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program.
• SB 1010 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Air pollution: state vehicle fleet.
• SB 1020 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022.
• SB 1063 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Energy: appliance standards and cost-effective measures.
• SB 1075 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) – Hydrogen: green hydrogen: emissions of greenhouse gases.
• SB 1109 by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Merced) – California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program: bioenergy projects.
• SB 1137 by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) – Oil and gas: operations: location restrictions: notice of intention: health protection zone: sensitive receptors.
• SB 1145 by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) – California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: greenhouse gas emissions: dashboard.
• SB 1158 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Retail electricity suppliers: emissions of greenhouse gases.
• SB 1203 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) – Net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases: state agency operations.
• SB 1205 by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) – Water rights: appropriation.
• SB 1215 by Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) – Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003: covered battery-embedded products.
• SB 1230 by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara) – Zero-emission and near-zero-emission vehicle incentive programs: requirements.
• SB 1251 by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) – Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development: Zero-Emission Vehicle Market Development Office: Zero-Emission Vehicle Equity Advocate

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• SB 1291 by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) – Hydrogen-fueling stations: administrative approval.
• SB 1314 by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara) – Oil and gas: Class II injection wells: enhanced oil recovery.
• SB 1322 by Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) – Energy: petroleum pricing.
• SB 1382 by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) – Air pollution: Clean Cars 4 All Program: Sales and Use Tax Law: zero emissions vehicle exemption.

Governor Newsom previously signed:

• AB 2251 by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier) – Urban forestry: statewide strategic plan.
• SB 1174 by Senator Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) – Electricity: eligible renewable energy or energy storage resources: transmission and interconnection.

For full text of the bills, visit: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.