Fulfill Our Clean Energy Initiative
I-937 reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, protecting us from pollution and volatile prices, and remains the No. 1 practical means for meeting the state’s official climate limits. We must continue its success in protecting our environment and the health of our families.
Initiative 937, the Clean Energy Initiative voters passed in 2006, tells the state’s major electric utilities to get all cost-effective energy conservation and to gradually increase the amount of new renewable energy serving their customers to 15% by 2020. I-937 remains essential to building a vital, job-creating new energy economy and creating a clean, secure and affordable energy future.
Initiative 937 is good for our economy
I-937 is delivering real economic development through energy efficiency and new renewable energy projects. Since its passage, I-937 has helped create about $7.5 billion in new investments and 7,200 jobs across the region, generated more than $40 million in property tax revenue for local communities to pay for schools and other public services, and saved consumers nearly $70 million on their electric bills.
More investments, more savings and more jobs will come to us as long as I-937 keeps the pathway open.
Initiative 937 protects people’s health and the environment
I-937 reduces our reliance on fossil fuels, protecting us from pollution and volatile prices, and remains the No. 1 practical means for meeting the state’s official climate pollution limits. We must continue its success in protecting our environment and the health of our families.
Despite these benefits, our clean energy future is at risk
The legislature is considering two identical bills to amend Initiative 937 – House Bill 2654 and Senate Bill 6396. The bills include changes that attempt to strike an appropriate balance between providing utilities with increased flexibility while maintaining the long-term goals of the original initiative. It is critical that changes are balanced with a proposed new provision – starting in 2020, utilities will meet all of their new power needs with clean and renewable energy until they reach 20% of their total energy needs!
But some of the changes go too far and significantly undercut our progress toward a clean energy future, including allowing existing 30-year old biomass plants to count toward the renewable energy standard. Another proposed change modifies the standard for some utilities so much that it eliminates the market for new renewables far into the future.
Tell your legislator that Initiative 937 is good for our economy and our environment and to remove any amendments that would weaken the law. Any changes to I-937 must preserve the voters’ intent to increase the development.
