Governor Brown Signs Energy Security Bill

On Thurs., Sept. 27, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed Senate Bill 1409, The Energy Security Coordination Act of 2012, into law. The new law, authored by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), directs the State of California to coordinate implementation of policies advancing energy security with the Department of Defense (DOD).

“The health of the environment, job creation and indeed, the security of the nation, depend on how we end America’s dangerous addiction to foreign oil,” said Gov. Brown. “California and the U.S. military are working together to build a clean energy future and this bill helps make sure it happens.”

The DOD declared climate change and oil dependence as strategic national security threats and U.S. oil dependence as creating significant risks to our men and women in uniform. This summer, the Navy announced its goal of cutting overall power consumption in half and meeting half of its energy needs from renewable sources by the year 2020.

Sen. Pavley thanked the Governor for his support and said, “The military is the largest job creator in California, with a $56 billion annual budget, 30 major installations and more than 236,000 uniformed and civilian personnel. California’s clean energy economy employs over 300,000 workers and has attracted 50 cents on every dollar of the billions of venture capital invested nationally in clean technology.

“The DOD and the Navy have become innovators in energy efficiency and catalysts in California’s growing clean technology and innovation sector,” Pavley continued. “The DOD’s demand for energy efficiency, renewable energy, advanced energy storage and fuel alternatives is helping drive private sector research and development. Private sector innovation is growing new companies and creating jobs in California.”

The new law directs the Governor’s Director of Planning and Research to lead coordination and implementation of complementary clean energy policies with the Department of Defense. The law assists resolving any conflicts that may arise in the military’s research, development or deployment of clean energy in California.

At an informational hearing that morning, there was a presentation and test drives of the newest fuel-efficient, clean technology cars including: Mitsubishi i-MiEV; Chevy Volt; BMW Active E; Nissan Leaf; CODA Sedan; Toyota Plug-in Prius; Tesla Model S; and the Mercedes F-cell.