California Confirms 100% Clean Energy Target

• Governor Jerry Brown of California has officially confirmed the state's aim to chase a 100% clean energy target by 2045
• He signed SB100 bill into a law on September 10, 2018, completing the last step required to make it an official commitment for the largest US state
• Brown also issued an executive order for California to become a carbon neutral state by 2045

With California Governor Jerry Brown signing Senate Bill 100 (SB100) on September 10, 2018, the US state is officially on its way to achieve 100% clean energy. Brown has also issued an executive order that aims for carbon neutrality for the west coast state by 2045.

Brown's signatures were necessary to convert SB100 from a bill to a law. It was already approved by the state's Senate (see California Aims For 100% Clean Energy By 2045).

By 2025, at least 50% of the state's electricity needs should be catered by renewable energy and it should increase to 60% by 2030. By 2045, it needs to reach the 100% target. In his message to the Senate, Brown underlined the importance of energy storage, increased efficiency and adjusting energy use to the time of the day when there is maximum power will help the transition, he wrote.

To contribute to the efforts to curtail global warming, California will also be going in to achieve carbon neutral status by 2045 and net negative greenhouse gas emissions after that. "With Governor Brown's order, California establishes the most ambitious carbon neutrality commitment of any major economic jurisdiction in the world – of more than 20 countries and at least 40 cities, states and provinces planning to go carbon neutral by mid-century or sooner," read an official statement from Governor's office.