SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ California lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a plan that would put the state on a path to phase out fossil fuels by 2045.
State senators voted overwhelmingly to support Senate Bill 100, which would require California to obtain 100 percent of its energy from clean sources within the next three decades. The bill, which has been touted by state and national political leaders as a key plank in California's fight against climate change, now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.
"It's a historic day as an example for how the United States ought to be grappling with the existential threat to our nation and to our planet, our climate," said Democratic state Sen. Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, the bill's author.
The decision follows a dramatic vote Tuesday in the state Assembly to approve SB 100, which had been on hold for nearly a year amid concerns over costs and feasibility, and larger political fights over energy policy.
Legislators opposed to the plan renewed cost concerns during debate on the Senate floor.
"I'm concerned that when we stand up and try to help those that are not in a financial position to help themselves, saddling them with higher utility rates is not the answer," GOP state Sen. Jeff Stone of Temecula said.
In addition to phasing out fossil fuels by 2045, SB 100 would also require electric utilities and other service providers to generate 60 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2030, up from the current 50 percent goal set for that date.
If Brown signs the bill, California would join Hawaii to become the only states with goals to phase out fossil fuel use by 2045.
The passage of SB 100 is almost two years in the making. Last year, lawmakers punted on the bill after it became caught up in a fight over a proposal from Brown to integrate California's electricity grid with those of other states in the region, legislation that remains pending. In addition to discussion over that bill, lawmakers are debating how to respond to recent wildfires across the state.
In a report this week, state regulators identified a growing wildfire danger as one of the risks California faces as a result of climate change.
