California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly plans to veto renewable energy legislation passed by the state assembly Friday.
On the last day of the legislative session, the assembly passed bills that would mandate the state receive a third of its electricity from renewable resources by the year 2020.
Schwarzenegger’s office said he is opposed to the complexity of the bills and will institute the quota through an executive order instead, according to an Associated Press report.
"The poorly drafted, overly complex bills passed by the Legislature are protectionist schemes that will kill the solar industry in California and drive prices up like the failed energy deregulation of the late 1990s," Schwarzenegger’s communications director, Matt David, said in a statement Saturday.
The bills set a limit on the amount of renewable power that can come from outside the states borders–a clause that has been opposed by the Independent Energy Producers, which represents a majority of renewable energy providers in the state.
However, the bill has the support of some environmental and industry groups. The California Wind Energy Association (CalWEA) praised the state legislature and urged Schwarzenegger not to veto the bills.
"Were the Governor to heed calls for a veto, he would bring renewable energy development efforts to a standstill and set back the state’s environmental goals by years," CalWEA’s Executive Director Nancy Rader said. She said that those calling for a veto "either have never supported a renewable energy future or are renewable energy companies that are not well-positioned for the market created by the legislation and are trying to kill the market for everyone else."
California already requires the states three investor-owned utilities to produce 20% of their power from renewable resources by 2010.
Link to Associated Press coverage at the link below.
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