[env-trinity] State legislators reject public goods charge.

[lou jacobson]

For all of you energy and water nerds. The rejection of the public goods charge by our fair weather legislators could do insurmountable harm to our energy efficiency industry unless we take action. Please email, call or visit your representative and let them know that energy efficiency and the PGC are important components in California's efforts to meet regs. outlined in AB32. 


This is not just about job-creation but workforce maintenance. Energy efficiency alone is a multi-billion dollar industry in California.  Folks like me, an efficiency specialist, will be forced to leave the state in search of new opportunities in more progressive states. A tremendous amount of institutional knowledge and skills will be lost and California will loose.


Lou Jacobson


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The upper house also rejected a last-minute push to reauthorize an 
energy surcharge touted by Brown as a tool to promote job creation.
The 1.5 percent tax on power bills, known as the Public Goods Charge, 
generates more than $400 million a year and is used to fund energy 
efficiency efforts, renewable energy projects and research and 
development. The Democratic governor had characterized the investments 
as an opportunity to spark "green" job creation.
But the measure, 
contained in two bills, fell far short of passage late as the 
Legislature's final scheduled day of session stretched into the early 
morning hours Saturday. Assembly Bill 724, the only part of the package 
to come up for a floor vote, only received 20 of the 27 votes needed to 
clear the upper house. 

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/10/v-mobile/3899029/capitol-alert-senate-sends-jerry.html#ixzz1XmIgs900
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