California Governor Sworn In For Record Fourth Term

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January 5, 2015 | The Associated Press | Judy Lin

As the Associated Press reports, fourth-term Governor Jerry Brown used his swearing in ceremony to talk about California’s energy future. Read through the full transcript here.

The AP reported that in his speech, Brown called on the state to pass even stricter environmental laws:

In the next 15 years, he proposed the state increase renewable electricity sources from one-third to 50 percent, reduce petroleum use in vehicles by 50 percent, and double the efficiency of existing buildings.

California is already a national leader in renewable energy and environmental policies but, according to Brown, with the threat of climate change looming, what they’ve already done is not enough. Here is an excerpt from his speech:

“I envision a wide range of initiatives: more distributed power, expanded rooftop solar, micro-grids, an energy imbalance market, battery storage, the full integration of information technology and electrical distribution and millions of electric and low-carbon vehicles. How we achieve these goals and at what pace will take great thought and imagination mixed with pragmatic caution. It will require enormous innovation, research and investment. And we will need active collaboration at every stage with our scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, businesses and officials at all levels.”

California has a lot at stake when it comes to energy and environmental policy: ongoing severe drought conditions, a large population with huge energy needs, and the second highest emissions rates in the country.

Here are some highlights from Inside Energy’s reporting on California: