Post from Unca Doug's Blog:
Vote Yes on Proposition 7 - California's Solar Initiative
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Over 730,000 Californians have signed a petition to put Proposition 7 on the ballot in California.

Prop. 7 requires that by 2025, 50% of the electricity in the state will come from renewable sources (ie. solar, wind, biothermal, etc.) which is a great start but why not 100%?

Join Californians for Solar and Clean Energy and Vote YES on 7 ... Visit yeson7.net



Proposition 7 accomplishes some essential steps toward reducing CO2 beyond the necessary but insufficient rate of reduction.

Proposition 7 is supported by a growing group of concerned scientists and policy makers because -- although AB 32 is applauded by the climate scientists -- California's current efforts are insufficient to reduce CO2 emissions fast enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. According to Dr. James E. Hansen and Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri and environmentalist Bill McKibben, we need to begin reducing CO2 emissions within the next 7 years to more quickly than current legislation in order to bring CO2 concentration in the atmosphere back to 350 ppm mid-next century. We have passed 387 ppm and are headed to 400 ppm. If we act quickly, we can turn CO2 concentrations around before they hit 420 ppm and return to 350 ppm in about a hundred hears ... if we take significant action NOW.

Proposition 7 is a first step ... and sends a message to the rest of the world.

- Prop. 7 will not raise taxes or issue bonds.

- Prop. 7 includes a consumer protection clause that ensures that our electrical bills won't go up more than 3% as a result of the proposition by 2025.

- Prop. 7 will help the state's economy including 370,000 high wage construction jobs right here in California.

- Prop. 7 is supported by many experts in the field of renewable energy, including 3 Nobel Prize scientists Alan Heeger, Walter Kohn, and Herbert Kroemer.

- Prop 7 is supported by S. David Freeman who helped start the EPA and helped to put an end to California's energy crisis back in 2001. He also worked for some of the larger utility companies in the country, including The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, as well as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

- Prop 7 is supported by Peter Sperling, an environmental philanthropist.

- Prop 7 is supported by The Community Environmental Council of Santa Barbara, one of the oldest environmental groups in the state.

- Prop 7 is supported by Danny Glover, actor and environmental advocate.

ON THE OTHER HAND, the opposition to this initiative is funded by PG&E and Southern California Edison.

- Prop 7 will NOT put small utility companies out of business. It is ONLY a regulation. So the utility companies are not adhering to it, nor are the paying the fines, which by the way, are capped at around $25 million.

PG&E and Southern California Edison have already paid over $27 million fighting this proposition.

That is just pocket CHANGE to the utilities.

So let's make a CHANGE.

Join other Californians for Solar and Clean Energy and VOTE YES ON 7.

Reader Comments

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yes we can
By Unknown user, Oct 12, 2008 at 12:26:23 AM ET (Updated: Oct 12, 2008 at 12:26:23 AM ET )
Indeed we can solve the climate crisis and indeed we can pass proposition 7 to help accomplish this right here in California. It's time for the Big Green's to throw in the towel with their corporate counterparts and really begin to clean up our energy. California imports the most energy than any other state and fortunately with our temperate climate, our per capita use is one of the lowest. We know how to conserve, it's time to make more sustainable business decisions to replace the outmoded and damaging ways of fossil fuels.
  
Already marked my ballot YES!!!!
By Unknown user, Oct 13, 2008 at 2:09:06 PM ET (Updated: Oct 13, 2008 at 2:09:06 PM ET )
Already marked my ballot YES!!!!
So excited about Prop 7, did my research and all the experts are on the Yes side. All the groups opposing don't have ANY environmental reasons to be against it and 28 million from the utilities? That was enough for me to do my research. The three Nobel Prize winners who are in strong support of Prop 7 wrote a letter to the opposition and that's was what did it for me. Im glad the bee wrote this article, it is much more fair than previous ones. Yes on 7, it feels great to be on the right side of history!!!! =)
  
Confused in Solar California
By UncaDoug, Oct 15, 2008 at 1:57:46 AM ET (Updated: Oct 15, 2008 at 1:57:46 AM ET )
While I am preparing a summary on the confusion about the 30MW definition and how it does and does not impact large and small renewable energy facilities permitting process and eligibility to sell power to the utilities ... with cited verbiage from the law and proposition (which I hope to complete in the next 24 hours), peruse the following Link