10 September 2018: California’s Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill setting a 100% clean electricity goal for the US state, and issued an executive order on achieving carbon neutrality, both by 2045.

Senate Bill 100 (SB 100) and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. SB 100 author Senator Kevin de León said that “transitioning to an entirely carbon-free energy grid will create good-paying jobs, ensure our children breathe cleaner air and mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change on our communities and economy.”

SB 100 goes beyond the state’s existing Renewables Portfolio Standard, and establishes mandatory renewable energy targets of 33% by 2020, 50% by 2026 and 60% by 2030. It seeks to implement a zero-carbon electricity grid by 2045.

Brown’s executive order directs the state as a whole to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and net negative emissions after that to ensure California removes as much carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere as it emits.

“Transitioning to an entirely carbon-free energy grid will create good-paying jobs, ensure our children breathe cleaner air and mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change on our communities and economy.” Senator Kevin de León

To achieve its goals, California will reduce carbon pollution, increase carbon sequestration in forests, soils and other natural landscapes, and implement programmes to improve air quality and public health, especially in the state’s most impacted communities. California’s plan is the most ambitious carbon neutrality commitment of the more than 20 countries and 40 cities, states and provinces in the world that intend to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The signing of SB100 and the executive order came in advance of the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), which convened in San Francisco, US, from 12-14 September 2018.

Governor Brown also signed legislation blocking new federal offshore drilling along California’s coast, and announced opposition to the federal government’s intent to expand oil drilling on public lands in California. California’s coast has been off-limits to new oil and gas leases for over 30 years, and the state has not issued a lease for offshore oil or gas production since 1968. [State of California Press Release] [Governor Brown’s Signing Message for SB 100] [Text of SB 100] [Text of Executive Order] [State of California Press Release on Offshore Drilling] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on California’s Efforts to Legislate Carbon-free Electricity]