California to increase renewables target

• 9 years ago (2015-01-07)
• Junior Isles

North America 1004

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California’s Governor Jerry Brown has set out a new goal for the US’ most populous state, to increase renewable energy use to 50 per cent in the next 15 years.

The current goal calls for 33 per cent of electricity use to come from renewable sources by 2020. According to the state energy commission, as of last year nearly 25 per cent of California’s retail electricity came from renewable energy, excluding large dams.

Some environmental groups, however, urged Brown to go further and ban fracking in California.

“The oil and gas boom threatens to undercut all the other progress that our state may make on climate change,” said Kassie Siegel, a senior counsel on climate issues for the Centre for Environmental Diversity.

During his inauguration, where he was sworn in for a fourth term, Brown said that California is “at a crossroads for keeping its future golden”. He said he plans to reduce methane, black carbon and other pollutants as well as manage farms, forests and wetlands to absorb more carbon dioxide.