Senator Stern’s Climate Package Passes Through the CA Senate
Roundup of Climate Bills
SACRAMENTO, CA- At the house of origin deadline, California’s State Senate green lighted a host of critical climate measures being advanced by the Senate’s California Air Resources Board’s appointee and Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies, State Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles). Stern applauded his colleagues and Senate leadership for continuing to advance climate progress despite a few setbacks with the loss of Senate Bill 12 and 507 before they could be voted on by the full body.
“This week my colleagues led by Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, worked very hard to push the envelope on a number of fronts in our battle against climate change in California,” said Senator Stern. “We cannot afford to pat ourselves on the back as we compete for once-in-a-lifetime federal funding to mitigate the threat of pollution, disaster, and gas price spiked mounting for everyday Californians.”
Summary of Legislation:
Climate Related Financial Risk Disclosures SB261: sponsored by Ceres passed by a vote of 27-8- requires large financial institutions and corporations, some of which will not be covered by the pending Securities and Exchange regulation, to publicly disclose climate-related financial risks to their bottom line.
Extreme Heat and Buildings. SB795: backed by a coalition of labor and environmental organizations, which passed by a vote of 32-8, would help Californians cool their homes cheaper, faster and more efficiently by- building better tracking and permitting systems for the installation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. Currently, the vast majority of HVAC's are installed without permits and incorrectly, resulting in higher energy bills and more overall pollution.
Methane Pollution. SB781: which passed by a vote of 29-5, would empower the California Air Resources Board to shine a light on fugitive emissions from the massive amount of methane gas California imports (more than twice the per capita gas consumption rates of eastern counterparts like New York) and, while California transitions to 100% clean energy, SB 781 would push utilities to procure methane gas from only the lowest emissions operations that certify their use of best practices being pushed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Aviation. SB720: focuses on the massive increase in private jet travel, and correspondent local and global pollution increases. The average jet burns approximately 5,000 gallons of fuel per hour, the equivalent of about 400 passenger cars in the same amount of time. By requiring California airports with over 50,000 annual takeoffs from private jets that are in the most polluted regions of the state, this legislation looks to create opportunities to mitigate pollution in environmental justice communities through new types of quieter, safer, zero emissions aviation options emerging such as sustainable aviation fuels and electrified takeoff.
Grid Resilience from Extreme Weather. SB664: responds to the massive heat waves and cold snaps that have strained California’s grid in recent years, by requiring the California Energy Commission to include multi-day and atypical extreme weather events in its energy demand forecasting.
Climate Bond. SB867: which passed on a bipartisan 33-5 vote, would place on the 2024 ballot a $15.5 billion general revenue bond to finance projects to make the state more resilient to future droughts, super floods, mega fires, heat storms, and threats to the grid as well as habitat and vulnerable species.
Electrical Transmission Line Certification. SB 619: which passed on a bipartisan 37-0 vote, will encourage utilities to build more electrical transmission lines allowing California to expedite our pathways to cleaner electricity across the State.
FLOOR CLIPS FOR BILLS HYPERLINKED: SB261 SB795 SB781 SB720
BILL FACT SHEETS EMBEDDED
sb_261_fact_sheet_climate_risk_disclosure_5.23.23.pdf
sb_795_hvac_compliance_fact_sheet_05.31.23.pdf
sb_720_air_ports_emissions_and_zero_carbon_efforts_factsheet.pdf
Senator Henry Stern was elected to the California State Senate in November of 2016. He represents the diverse constituents of the 27th district that includes just under half of Ventura County and parts of Los Angeles County. Senator Stern has worked tirelessly as a fierce advocate for the 27th district on important issues such as the environment, clean energy, wildfire mitigation, housing, mental healthcare, and public safety throughout his community.