Repealing AB32 Would Hurt CA Economy Say SunPower, BrightSource, Serious Materials

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PG&E came out swinging today against Prop 23 – an attempt by out-of-state oil companies to dupe California voters into voting to overturn the climate bill, AB32, that we voted for in 2006. PG&E has been joined by the first of California’s clean energy companies to respond in opposition to the new oil companies’ ballot measure Prop 23.

“California’s clean energy laws have created a thriving marketplace for solar power that is generating billions of dollars in economic growth and tens of thousands of jobs. “ says Julie Blunden VP of Sunpower: “Not only are we building businesses that construct the solar systems, but we are bringing manufacturing back to California. We are leading the nation in the development of clean energy.

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(SunPower makes the most drop-dead gorgeous solar panels in the world. One of their campuses is located within the view from my home in the East Bay.)

“Repealing our clean energy laws will stall economic investments and job growth in the fastest growing sector of the California economy”. Chip in a few dollars a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to accelerate the cleantech revolution!

“Serious Materials is headquartered in California in large part because of the state’s pioneering clean energy and energy efficiency standards. We have hundreds of employees and generate millions annually for the California economy. We are planning to add new manufacturing plants, products and hundreds of employees over the next few years” says Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials.

“Repealing our clean energy laws would mean losing California’s competitive edge in the clean technology sector, and would slow investment and job creation in this state.”

Serious Materials manufactures windows with higher insulating values than most walls: R-11, and recently retrofitted the Empire State Building. Surace testified before congress on greenbuilding in January.

“California’s unique combination of far-sighted energy policies and its access to world-class talent, research centers and venture funding have made the state the center of the nation’s clean energy industry”, says John Woolard, CEO of BrightSource Energy.

Repealing California’s clean energy laws would create market uncertainty and affect billions of dollars worth of investments in solar energy projects that are creating good-paying jobs and sparking new companies throughout the state”.

Oakland’s BrightSource has signed a contract with California utilities to build the largest solar project in the world, bringing $250 million in construction earnings for California workers and making California a world leader in solar power.

Image: NREL

Susan Kraemer @Twitter


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