California utilities, already struggling to meet a law requiring more renewable energy, saw the bar raised even higher Monday.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order calling on utilities to provide one-third of their power from renewable resources by 2020.
"This will be the most aggressive target in the nation," he said.
Increased reliance on renewable energy conceivably could hike future rates, however, because of higher production costs and the need to upgrade transmission facilities.
Schwarzenegger's order came on the eve of today's international summit on global climate change in Los Angeles.
California law currently requires utilities to produce 20 percent of their power from renewable resources by 2010.
It hasn't been easy.
Only about 12 percent of all California's electricity last year came from wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, small hydroelectric and other renewable resources.
Schwarzenegger's new order raises the target to 33 percent by 2020 and orders state agencies to lay the groundwork through planning and permitting.
Legislation is being drafted to put the tougher standard into state law, consider penalties for noncompliance and bolster the cost competitiveness of renewable energy, gubernatorial aides said.
Incoming Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, predicted that the incoming Legislature will pass such legislation within 90 days after returning in January.
"When we meet these standards, we will not only be creating our own energy independence, we will also be providing the pathway to high-wage jobs and economic growth for California," Steinberg said.
The push toward renewable energy is part of a much larger strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to lessen the state's dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Schwarzenegger also signed a separate agreement Monday in which the California Energy Commission and the Department of Fish and Game will work jointly to cut in half the time spent processing applications for renewable energy projects.
Schwarzenegger said his goal is to expedite the permitting process while maintaining key environmental protections.
Call Jim Sanders, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5538.
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.