Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) took a huge step towards a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable California by adopting a more ambitious renewable energy standard.  Under this new regulation one-third of all electricity sold in the state must come from unpolluted, green energy sources by the year 2020.

This new standard is projected to help California in more ways than simply providing cleaner, less polluted skies. According to the CARB press release, increasing the renewable standard from 20 percent to 33 percent, will not only create “green jobs to construct and run renewable facilities in California,” but should also protect the state’s economy from the shock of unstable natural gas prices while establishing California as an international leader in the study and development of clean, renewable energy sources.

This standard also helps the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) under AB 32, California’s landmark global warming law.  By ensuring a full third of our energy is derived from renewable sources, this standard will achieve GHG emission reduction equaling nearly 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by the year 2020, making it (according to CARB) one of AB 32’s largest emission reduction strategies.