Amended in Assembly August 17, 2015

Amended in Assembly June 29, 2015

Amended in Senate June 1, 2015

Amended in Senate March 26, 2015

Senate Bill No. 189

Introduced by Senator Hueso

February 9, 2015

An act to add Section 12893.5 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 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 in the California Environmental Protection Agency, comprising 7 members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Senate Committee on Rules, as provided. The bill would prescribe the terms and qualifications of committee members and would require the committee to hold its first meeting on or before December 1, 2016. The bill would require that any member who fails to attend 3 committee meetings in one calendar year be deemed removed from the committee, and would require the appointing power for that member to appoint a new member to fill the vacancy. The bill would require the committee to advise state agencies on the most effective ways to expend clean energy and GHG-related funds and implement policies in order to maximize California’s economic and employment benefits, and to take specified actions in that regard.

This 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, as provided. The bill would require each state agency that has received advice from the committee 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.

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 and policy has led to major employment and economic benefits
as well as to significant environmental and public health benefits.

(1) In December 2014, the Advanced Energy Economy Institute
issued a report entitled “California Advanced Energy Employment
Survey,” which showed that state advanced energy policies have
created over 430,000 jobs, an increase of 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 12893.5 is added to the Government Code, to
read:

12893.5.  

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

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

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

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

(2) Each member shall be appointed to a term of four years.
Any member who fails to attend three committee meetings in one
calendar year shall be deemed removed from the committee, and
the appointing power for that member shall appoint a new member
to fill the vacancy.

(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.

(c) The committee shall hold its first meeting on or before
December 1, 2016. Meetings shall be held quarterly, or at a
frequency deemed appropriate by the members. Members may
attend a meeting either in person or by teleconference or Web
conference.

(d) The committee shall consist solely of persons with expertise
in economic, financial, or policy aspects of clean energy economic
growth, job creation, workforce standards, or employment
opportunities for disadvantaged workers. At least two members
of the committee appointed by the Governor shall have experience
working on economic projects in disadvantaged communities.

(e) (1) The committee shall advise state agencies on the most
effective ways to expend clean energy and greenhouse gas-related
funds and to implement policies in order to maximize California’s
economic and employment benefits. The committee shall also do
all of the following:

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

(B) 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 begin insert those end insert jobs.

(C) 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 begin delete and
other target populations end delete to good quality jobs and career pathways
created by those investments.

(D) 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.

(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “state agency” means any
board, commission, department, or other agency of the state.

(3) The committee shall consult with the Labor and Workforce
Development Agency and the California Workforce Investment
Board, when appropriate, in implementing this subdivision.

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

(g) (1) The State Energy Resources Conservation and
Development Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, the
State Air Resources Board, and any other state agency that has
received advice from the committee 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 begin delete (d). end delete begin insert (e). end insert

(2) The annual progress report required by paragraph (1) may
be included in any other annual report the state agency is required
to provide to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal
committees of the Legislature, if it is feasible for the agency to do
so.

(3) This subdivision shall be inoperative on January 1, 2021,
pursuant to Section begin delete 10231.5 of the Government Code. end delete begin insert 10231.5. end insert