BILL ANALYSIS
SB 675
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Date of Hearing: June 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Wesley Chesbro, Chair
SB 675 (Steinberg) - As Amended: April 2, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 26-9
SUBJECT : Energy job training: Clean Technology and Renewable
Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout
Prevention Act of 2010 (Act)
SUMMARY : Establishes the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy
Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention
Fund (Fund) that awards grants to fund construction and
enhancement projects associated with educating and training
individuals in preparation for jobs in clean technology
industries.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the Air Resources Board (ARB) to adopt a statewide
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions limit equivalent to 1990 levels
by 2020 and to adopt rules and regulations to achieve maximum
technologically feasible and cost-effective GHG emission
reductions.
2)Establishes the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER)
program, administered by the California Energy Commission
(CEC), which awards grants to fund research in energy
technologies and related scientific activities in the public
interest.
THIS BILL :
3)Makes findings and declarations regarding California's
international leadership in renewable energy, energy
conservation, clean technology, and climate change policies.
4)Declares the Legislature's intent to stimulate California's
economy by creating good paying jobs in industries that are in
compliance with current environmental protection laws and
regulations, and to provide entrepreneurs and employers with a
well-trained workforce, including young adults. These jobs
will provide avenues out of poverty for people and communities
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that suffer from high levels of unemployment, school dropout
rates, and air pollution, while helping California reach its
climate change mitigation goals and conserve its natural
resources.
5)Transfers an unspecified dollar amount from the CEC's PIER
program into the Fund, which will award grants for the
construction or reconfiguration of facilities that will
enhance educational opportunities and provide skills and
knowledge required for successful employment in careers
directly related to clean technology, renewable energy, or
energy efficiency.
6)Creates the Clean Technology and Renewable Energy Job
Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout Prevention
Council (Council) which will consist of the following nine
members:
a) The Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, who will
serve as the Council Chair.
b) The Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development.
c) The Secretary for Environmental Protection.
d) The Superintendent of Public Instruction.
e) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
f) Two members appointed by the Senate Rules Committee that
represent the following groups:
i) An employer engaged renewable energy projects.
ii)A member of a non-profit environmental advocacy
organization.
g) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly
that represent the following groups:
i) A disadvantaged community representative.
ii)A labor organization that administers state-approved
preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs in the
fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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7)Requires the Council to develop criteria to evaluate the Fund
including metrics of education, job readiness, and
environmental outcomes to ensure equity, industry relevance,
and proper development of advanced coursework at community
colleges, public universities, or private institutions.
8)Requires that the Council administer competitive grants based
upon specified criteria.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, potential costs in the hundreds of millions over 20
years for issuance of bonds, and $900,000 to the Office of
Public School Construction for administrative costs.
COMMENTS :
1)Background. According to the author, a 2006 poll of at-risk
California 9th and 10th graders to discover that 60 percent
were not motivated to succeed in school. The poll also
indicated that 90 percent of that subset of students believed
that they would be more engaged in their education if they
learned more applicable skills and knowledge for tangible job
and career opportunities. In addition, the author cites a
2006 review by the American Solar Energy Association
indicating that approximately 3.6 million Americans were
currently employed by either a renewable energy or energy
efficiency company, and that another 5 million held jobs
indirectly associated with those industries. This study
estimated that these two industries generated approximately
$975,000,000 in revenue in 2006. Several other economic
reviews have come to similar findings regarding the economic
potential of the renewable energy and energy efficiency
industries within California and the U.S.
According to the author, "California suffers from too many
high school dropouts, too little meaningful career technical
education (CTE) at the middle and high school levels, and the
lack of a skilled workforce to fuel the emerging green
economy. California must lead the world in addressing both the
problems of its youth and the opportunities created by the new
green economy. SB 675 offers solutions at the intersection of
these two state priorities. Investment in these emerging
careers and industries will drive the next phase of
California's economic growth in a way that helps us meet the
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challenge of climate change. This investment in reducing the
dropout rate, expanding workforce opportunities, and targeting
climate change will create major economic stimulus for clean
energy and technology jobs in California that will jumpstart
our economy and improve our quality of life."
This bill establishes a competitive grant program to construct
and retrofit facilities and for equipment purchases for
programs that will provide education, job training, knowledge,
skills and certification necessary for careers directly
related to clean technology, renewable energy, or energy
efficiency to pupils in grades 7 through 12, school dropouts,
high school graduates under 22 years of age, members of the
California Conservation Corps (CCC) and certified local
conservation corps, and minors or adults under 22 years of age
who are on probation or parole.
Funds for the purposes of this bill would generated by the
issuance of revenue bonds, the amounts of which are
unspecified by the bill. Funding will also be provided by the
PIER program administered by the CEC, as well as from funds
appropriated by the Legislature. The PIER program funds
grants totaling about $83 million annually for public interest
energy research with the mission of developing energy
technologies, providing increased environmental benefits,
ensuring electrical grid reliability, and any other energy
related research that is of interest to the California public.
SB 675 would redirect an unspecified portion of PIER program
funds for the purposes of the Act.
Eligible recipients for these grants include public schools,
community colleges, career technical education facilities,
public and investor owned facilities, non-profit
organizations, businesses, apprenticeship programs, labor
organizations, colleges, universities, CCC members, and others
approved by the Council
2)Related Legislation:
SB 1672 (Steinberg) establishes the Renewable Energy, Climate
Change, Career Technical Education, and Clean Technology Job
Creation Bond Act of 2010. SB 1672 was held on suspense in
2008 in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Proposition 1D, approved by voters in 2006, created the
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Career Technical Education Facilities Program and provided
$500 million to construct, upgrade, and purchase equipment for
career technical education programs. Ninety one million
remains in the program.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Catholic Conference, Inc.
California Community Colleges
Plug In America
San Francisco Unified School District
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Union of Concerned Scientists
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Jessica Westbrook / NAT. RES. / (916)
319-2092