Amended in Senate March 26, 2015

Senate Bill No. 189

Introduced by Senator Hueso

February 9, 2015

An act to add Section 12897 to the Government Code, relating to clean energy development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 189, as amended, Hueso. Clean Energy and Low-Carbon Economic and Jobs Growth Blue Ribbon Committee.

Existing law requires specified state agencies to prepare and submit to the Secretary for Environmental Protection begin delete , end delete specified information relating to the state agency’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including a list of measures adopted and implemented by the agency to meet GHG emission reduction targets, as defined, and a status report on GHG emissions reduced as a result of these measures. Existing law further requires the California Environmental Protection Agency to provide that information on its Internet Web site in the form of a state agency GHG emission reduction report card.

This bill would create the Clean Energy and Low-Carbon Economic and Jobs Growth Blue Ribbon Committee, comprised of 7 members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Senate Committee on Rules, as provided. The bill would begin insert prescribe the terms and qualifications of committee members and would end insert require the committee to advise state agencies on the most effective ways to expend clean energy and begin delete GHG related end delete begin insert GHG-related end insert funds and implement policies in order to maximize California’s economic and employment begin delete benefits. end delete begin insert benefits, and to take specified actions in that regard. end insert The bill would also require the committee to provide an annual update to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on its activities. begin insert The bill would require each state agency responsible for implementing clean energy and low-carbon polices and programs to submit an annual progress report to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature describing how it implemented or responded to the advice, guidance, and recommendations of the committee. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) Numerous analyses have shown that California’s world
leadership in clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions
law begin delete , end delete and policy have led to major employment and economic
benefits as well as to significant environmental and public health
benefits.

(1) In December 2014, the Advanced Energy begin delete Economic end delete
begin insert Economy end insert Institute issued a report entitled “California Advanced
Energy begin delete Economic end delete begin insert Employment end insert Survey,” which showed that state
advanced energy policies have created over 430,000 jobs, an
increase begin delete in end delete begin insert of end insert 5 percent over 2013.

(2) That report further showed that California was number one
in installed solar capacity and solar jobs, number one in total
advanced energy investment, number one in electric vehicle sales,
and number two in energy efficiency.

(b) In order to ensure that California’s clean energy and climate
programs are optimized for maximum economic benefit and job
creation, the State Air Resources Board, the State Energy
Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the
Public Utilities Commission have all created advisory committees
to help them better understand the implications of their clean
energy and climate policies.

(c) The purpose of this act is to create a single independent blue
ribbon committee to provide advice to these and other agencies
on the most effective ways to maximize California’s economic
benefits and jobs growth via actions and investments in a cleaner,
low-carbon economy.

SEC. 2.  

Section 12897 is added to the Government Code, to
read:

12897.  

(a) The Clean Energy and Low-Carbon Economic and
Jobs Growth Blue Ribbon Committee is hereby created.

(b)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert The committee shall consist of the following members:

begin delete

(1) 

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert begin insert   end insert Five members appointed by the Governor and subject to
confirmation by the Senate.

begin delete

(2) 

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert begin insert   end insert One member each appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly and the Senate begin delete Rules end delete Committee on Rules.

begin insert

(2) Each member shall serve a term of four years.

end insert begin insert

(3) Committee members shall not receive per diem or other
similar compensation for serving as a committee member, but may
receive reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in connection
with the performance of their duties.

end insert

(c) The committee shall consist solely of persons with expertise
in economic, financial, and policy aspects of clean energy economic
begin delete growth and end delete begin insert growth, end insert job begin delete creation. end delete begin insert creation, workforce standards,
and employment opportunities for disadvantaged workers. At least
two members of the committee shall have experience working on
economic projects in disadvantaged communities. end insert

(d) The committee shall advise state agencies on the most
effective ways to expend clean energy and greenhouse begin delete gas related end delete
begin insert gas-related end insert funds and to implement policies in order to maximize
begin delete Californias end delete begin insert California’s end insert economic and employment benefits. begin insert The
committee shall also do all of the following: end insert

begin insert

(1) Develop guidance for tracking and reporting jobs outcomes
for state clean energy and low-carbon investments and use this
information to evaluate jobs outcomes.

end insert begin insert

(2) In consultation with the Labor and Workforce Development
Agency, develop guidance to measure the quantity and quality of
jobs created by state investments in clean energy and low-carbon
investments, as well as guidance to measure the geographic and
demographic distribution of jobs.

end insert begin insert

(3) Advise state agencies on the most effective ways to require
responsible contractor standards, as applicable, and minimum
training and skill certifications for workers to ensure high-quality
work for state clean energy and low-carbon investments, and the
most effective ways to connect disadvantaged communities and
other target populations to good quality jobs and career pathways
created by those investments.

end insert begin insert

(4) In consultation with the California Workforce Investment
Board, advise state agencies on the most effective ways to align
state clean energy and low-carbon training funds with existing
state workforce development investments and strategies.

end insert

(e) The committee shall provide an annual update to the
Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature on its activities.

begin delete

(f) Nothing in this section shall affect the existing authority or
responsibilities of any state agency.

end delete begin insert

(f) (1) The State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the
State Air Resources Board, and any other state agency responsible
for implementing clean energy and low-carbon policies and
programs shall submit an annual progress report to the Governor
and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature
describing how it implemented or responded to the advice,
guidance, and any recommendations provided by the committee
pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (d).

end insert begin insert

(2) This subdivision shall be inoperative on January 1, 2021,
pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

end insert