Plug In America, a national association of electric-vehicle drivers, recently applauded California Gov. Jerry Brown for issuing an executive order to achieve total carbon neutrality by 2045 and for signing the 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018.
Under the bill, California is required to use clean sources, including solar, wind and hydropower, to generate electricity by 2045. Electric utilities and other service providers are required to generate 60 percent of power from renewable sources by 2030.
The executive order establishes the goal of achieving carbon neutrality as soon as possible – but no later than 2045 – and achieving and maintaining net negative emissions after 2045.
“We simply cannot achieve carbon neutrality without electric vehicles,” Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America, said. “Gov. Brown’s ambitious goal is exactly what California needs to ensure our health and safety. By sourcing our electricity from renewable sources and powering our vehicles with that clean electricity, we will dramatically reduce the amount of carbon emissions we are pumping into the air we breathe.”
In California, transportation is 41 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Brown set a goal earlier this year of 5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030. Currently, there are approximately 430,000 such vehicles in the state.