California Renewable-Energy Initiatives Defeated
By TOM ZELLER JR.
A bill aimed at rapidly expanding this sort of thing was defeated in California on Tuesday. (Photo: Associated Press)Not entirely unexpectedly, two California initiatives that would have substantially expanded the state’s clean-energy profile — but which opponents argued were ill conceived — foundered at the polls on Tuesday.
Proposition 7, which would have required that California’s electric utilities get half of their power from renewable sources by 2025 (the current requirement is 20 percent by the end of 2010), was easily defeated with 65 percent of voters casting ballots against the measure.
Critics of the measure — which included an unusual alliance of environmentalists and public utilities, which are not covered by current requirements but would be folded into the new mandates — argued that, as drafted, the initiative would have driven up electricity rates, stalled the state’s already steady shift to clean power and strangled small alternative-energy companies.
Proposition 10, meanwhile, which would have created rebate incentives for the purchase of cars and trucks running on natural gas or other alternative fuels, was also struck down, with nearly 60 percent voting “no” at last count.
(Readers can track the final tallies at the Web site of The Los Angeles Times.)
Critics opposed Proposition 10 on the grounds that the state is already cash-strapped, facing a $15.2 billion deficit. The measure, if approved by voters, would have cost the state billions of dollars through public bonds aimed at financing the rebates.
The initiative was heavily backed by T. Boone Pickens, the former oil man who stood to profit from an expanded fleet of natural-gas cars, given his interest in Clean Energy Fuels, which sells natural gas for transportation use. Clean Energy covered much of the $22.5 million campaign fund for the initiative, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Amy Thoma, a spokeswoman for Proposition 10, told The San Diego Union-Tribune that the flagging economy sank the measure.
“We think Californians are supportive of moving toward to renewable technology,” she said, “but maybe the timing, at this time, wasn’t amazing.”
Renewable Energy Industry Says the Future Looks Bright
By KATE GALBRAITHWe solicited comments from environmental and renewable industry leaders in the wake of Senator Barack Obama’s victory in Tuesday night’s presidential election. A few e-mailed responses — enthusiastic all — follow. We’ll post more if/when they come in:
Gregory Wetstone of the American Wind Energy Association said that he was eager to work with a president whose policies “for the first time will reflect a national commitment to renewable energy” such as wind and solar power.
Mr. Wetstone noted that Mr. Obama is a “strong supporter of policies that are critical for wind growth,” including a national renewable portfolio standard, a long-term extension of a tax credit to aid the industry, and backing for investment in transmission.
Rhone Resch of the Solar Energy Industry Association hailed what he called a “new generation of leaders” with pro-clean energy policies that the election has ushered in, and called for Mr. Obama to begin work on his promise of 5 million green jobs.
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