SB 100 (2018)
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| SB 100 (2018) | |
|---|---|
| Name | SB 100 (2018) |
| Type | California state law |
| Enacted | 2018 |
| Jurisdiction | California |
SB 100 (2018) is a California statute enacted in 2018 that set ambitious renewable energy procurement and carbon neutrality goals for the State of California. The law integrates legislative objectives on electricity, renewable resources, and climate policy, and it aligns California with national and international actors in the transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy systems.
Background and Legislative Context
SB 100 (2018) emerged from a policy environment influenced by actors and events such as Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom, Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Air Resources Board, and institutions like the California Public Utilities Commission, Legislature of California, and California Independent System Operator. The statute followed precedents including Assembly Bill 32 (California) and Executive Order S-3-05, and intersected with frameworks like the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, and policy debates involving organizations such as Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, Union of Concerned Scientists, and World Resources Institute. Influential reports and actors including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and International Energy Agency framed technical feasibility and economic implications evaluated by stakeholders such as PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, Calpine Corporation, and NextEra Energy.
Provisions and Targets
The principal provisions set procurement and planning targets that intersect with entities like California Energy Commission, Western Electricity Coordinating Council, and markets influenced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and trading hubs such as California ISO. The law codified targets requiring a percentage of retail electricity sales from renewable resources, set trajectories toward zero-carbon electricity comparable in ambition to goals discussed by European Union, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, and emphasized integration with programs run by California Public Utilities Commission and standards similar to initiatives of Iberdrola, Ørsted, Siemens Gamesa, and Vestas. SB 100 (2018) specified compliance mechanisms, reporting duties, and planning processes involving Investor-Owned Utilities, Municipal Utility Districts, Community Choice Aggregators, and procurement actors including Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Legislative History and Debate
Debate in the California State Senate and California State Assembly mirrored broader partisan and advocacy contests involving figures such as Kevin de León, Bill Dodd, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, and organizations such as League of Conservation Voters and California Chamber of Commerce. Hearings attracted testimony referencing court decisions like Massachusetts v. EPA and policy analyses by RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, Resources for the Future, and academic centers including Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, Los Angeles. Amendments and floor negotiations involved committees like the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee, with lobbying from utilities, labor groups such as AFL–CIO, and business associations including California Manufacturers & Technology Association.
Supporters and Opponents
Supporters included environmental NGOs such as Sierra Club, Environment California, 350.org, Greenpeace USA, and philanthropic actors like the Heinz Family Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, along with academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University who emphasized decarbonization pathways. Labor and economic interests including International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and AFL–CIO expressed conditional support tied to job and transition provisions. Opponents cited concerns raised by Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, California Farm Bureau Federation, and trade associations including National Federation of Independent Business, often invoking analyses from Institute for Energy Research and Heritage Foundation about costs, reliability, and rate impacts.
Implementation and Compliance
Implementation relied on coordination among California Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, California Independent System Operator, and local entities like Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Compliance reporting and procurement plans referenced standards and models from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and regional planning consortia such as the Western Interstate Energy Board. Issues included grid reliability studies akin to work by North American Electric Reliability Corporation, integration of battery storage manufacturers like Tesla, Inc., LG Chem, and Panasonic, and transmission planning involving companies such as Quanta Services and American Electric Power.
Impact and Analysis
Analyses by research institutions including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Resources for the Future, Brookings Institution, and universities like Stanford University and UC Berkeley examined impacts on emissions, investment, and electricity rates, drawing comparisons to European decarbonization efforts in Denmark and Germany. Studies considered interactions with federal policy actors such as U.S. Department of Energy and market dynamics involving firms like NextEra Energy and Iberdrola USA. Reported outcomes encompassed increased procurement of wind and solar from developers including First Solar and SunPower Corporation, growth in storage deployments by Tesla, Inc. and Fluence Energy, and expanded community programs through Community Choice Aggregation models.
Amendments, Legal Challenges, and Subsequent Developments
Post-enactment amendments, regulatory decisions, and litigation involved entities like the California Public Utilities Commission, California Superior Court, and appellate courts, with legal questions invoking precedents such as Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and administrative rulemaking principles. Subsequent state actions under administrations of Gavin Newsom built on SB 100 (2018) with executive orders and budgetary measures, and ongoing policy evolution linked to national dialogues involving Biden administration climate initiatives and international forums including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.