SACRAMENTO >> AB 920 made it out of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee this week despite intense utility opposition. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, seeks to maintain a place in the energy market for renewable resources such as geothermal, biomass, and biogas.
Aguiar-Curry maintains that these resources provide high-paying jobs across California — particularly in Colusa, Lake, Yolo and Sonoma Counties in her 4th Assembly District — improve air quality, and help ensure a reliable electricity supply.
Statewide goals to increase California’s reliance on renewable energy have been very successful in reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions, but the assemblymember argues these have not successfully ensured that all renewable resources are properly valued for their economic, climate change, and air quality benefits.
“Geothermal and biomass energy facilities provide hundreds of vital jobs in the communities I represent where devastating levels of unemployment continue in the wake of the Great Recession,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Geothermal resources must be used or the facilities die. And, biomass facilities are critical to ensuring our forestry and agricultural waste is used for energy rather than emitting poisonous methane or fueling wildfires.”
Biomass and geothermal facilities contribute property taxes and royalties to local economies, in addition to being job creators. Tax credits and tax exemptions for renewables like wind and solar, coupled with low labor costs, undercut the market. As a result, over 75 percent of the renewable energy in California comes from wind and solar.
The goal of AB 920 is help level the playing field so renewable resources that are economic drivers have a fair chance to complete for contracts.
“Wind and solar are important renewable resources, but they can’t be the only resources we rely on,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Energy coming from wind and solar varies with the weather and needs to be balanced reliable energy. We can do that with geothermal and biomass, or let utilities move to a permanent reliance on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas..”
AB 920 passed 11-0 in the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee with Democrat coauthor Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) and Republican coauthor Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) voting Yes. AB 920 will move to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee where it will be heard next week.
