Bill Text: CA SCR48 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Geothermal Awareness Month and Geothermal Awareness Day.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-2)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-26 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 72, Statutes of 2015. [SCR48 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SCR48-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: SCR 48 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 72
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 26, 2015
ADOPTED IN SENATE MAY 11, 2015
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 25, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senators McGuire and Hueso
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Dodd and Wood)
(Coauthors: Senators Hertzberg, Stone, and Wolk)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Dahle, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo
Garcia, and Rendon)
APRIL 27, 2015
Relative to geothermal awareness.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 48, McGuire. Geothermal Awareness Month and Geothermal
Awareness Day.
This measure would recognize the month of May 2015, as Geothermal
Awareness Month and May 21, 2015, as Geothermal Awareness Day.
WHEREAS, California contains the largest amount of geothermal
generating capacity in the United States due to its location on the
Pacific "Ring of Fire" and the tectonic plate junctions; and
WHEREAS, There are 25 Known Geothermal Resource Areas located in
California, 14 of which have temperatures of 300 degrees Fahrenheit
or greater for commercial geothermal production of electricity; and
WHEREAS, There are major geothermal electrical production
locations throughout the State of California in the Counties of
Sonoma, Lake, Imperial, Inyo, and Mono; and
WHEREAS, California currently has 2,565.5 megawatts of installed
electric generation capacity from geothermal resources with an
additional 4,000 megawatts of potential for development; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal energy is a reliable baseload renewable energy
source that has been commercially operating in California since 1960
at the Geysers, the world's most developed geothermal resource area,
which has been providing Californians with clean, reliable, and
affordable electricity for more than 50 years; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal energy produces electricity 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, with a high availability record and is important
to balance the needs of the state's transmission grid system; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal energy is a clean renewable energy resource.
The operation of the Geysers and operations in Imperial County help
avoid the emissions of 11.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide
annually, which is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from more
than 1,050,000 cars being taken off the road, that would otherwise be
emitted by fossil fuel plants to meet baseload energy needs; and
WHEREAS, In comparison to other existing renewable technologies,
geothermal energy has many unique benefits, including consistent,
predictable production, a relatively small land footprint, and low
integration costs; and
WHEREAS, Imperial County's Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource
Area is considered to have a significant near-term growth opportunity
of over 2,000 megawatts of electric generation from additional
geothermal resource development and additional geothermal resource
development opportunities exist in the Counties of Sonoma, Modoc,
Mono, and Lake; and
WHEREAS, The geothermal industry is a major employer in the local
communities where projects are located, providing a diverse range of
full-time employment opportunities as well as contractor jobs
throughout all phases of development and operation; and
WHEREAS, Construction of the two proposed projects in Sonoma
County is expected to require about 900,000 hours of labor by 190
construction workers, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in
materials, supplies, and services during construction. This new
construction would result in an estimated $12 million in one-time
sales tax revenue, $7 million in new annual property tax revenues,
and millions of dollars in additional royalties paid to state,
federal, and private leaseholders. Once operational, the new plants
could create up to 19 full-time jobs; and
WHEREAS, Fully developing Imperial County's Salton Sea Known
Geothermal Resource Area could produce 5,214 construction jobs, and
up to 1,093 long-term operating and maintenance jobs, substantially
improving the economy of one of the most impoverished counties in the
state, where over 22 percent of the population is unemployed; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal power contributes to the tax revenue in local
communities, serving as the largest property taxpayers in the
Counties of Lake, Sonoma, and Inyo, as well as representing 10
percent of all property tax revenue in Imperial County; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal development, from exploration through
construction, spurs local economic growth through jobs, sales tax
revenues, materials and supplies purchase, and purchase of other
associated goods and services; and
WHEREAS, California has one of the most ambitious renewables
portfolio standards in the country with a mandate to procure 33
percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, and geothermal
energy is a major contributor to achieving this goal; and
WHEREAS, Governor Brown has proposed expanding California's
Renewables Portfolio Standard Program to require 50 percent of our
energy from renewable sources by 2030, further increasing the
importance of geothermal energy to achieve our renewable energy
goals; and
WHEREAS, California is on course to meet the near-term 2020
greenhouse gas emissions reduction target under the California Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Division 25.5 (commencing with
Section 38500) of the Health and Safety Code), but more emissions
reductions from the use of clean energy like geothermal and other
technological innovations will be needed to maintain and make further
reductions in carbon emissions; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal energy presents a unique opportunity to
address other environmental issues, such as the Geysers' partnership
with the City of Santa Rosa and Lake County to use their treated
wastewater to recharge the Geysers. This innovative partnership is
helping to keep local waterways clean and reduce carbon emissions
from the wastewater, all while sustaining this important source of
reliable, affordable, and renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, Geothermal energy is essential and complimentary to
California's environmental and economic policies, yet new fully
permitted geothermal projects have failed to keep pace with the
procurement of other renewable resources; and
WHEREAS, According to the State Air Resources Board, the State
Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the
Public Utilities Commission, existing geothermal generation
production is expected to drop significantly by 2020, a result of
renewable procurement policies that have failed to fully capture the
benefits of geothermal generation and the costs associated with other
renewable technologies; and
WHEREAS, A diverse renewable energy portfolio fits with California'
s energy demand profile and lowers costs; and
WHEREAS, The preservation of California's existing geothermal
generation and the development of new geothermal generation could
facilitate the achievement of the state's post-2020 energy and
environmental goals; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes the month of May
2015 as Geothermal Awareness Month to raise awareness of the
significant contributions geothermal energy makes to California's
Renewables Portfolio Standard Program and toward meeting the state's
environmental goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes May 21, 2015, as
Geothermal Awareness Day in California, and urges all citizens to
show their support on that day by learning more about geothermal
energy in California and supporting public events planned by the
geothermal industry; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature considers geothermal resources
important to California's future and recognizes the environmental and
economic values of existing and future geothermal energy for the
state and local communities; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the Governor, the members of the Public Utilities
Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development
Commission, the Independent System Operator, the State Air Resources
Board, and to the author for appropriate distribution.
