Oil Giants Fall Short as Prop 23 is Defeated

Renewable energy supporters can rejoice.  Last night, California voters chose to keep AB32, the state’s landmark global warming law, intact.  This is a strong signal to the government that the people of California support sustainability and a clean energy economy, and has chosen to take a stand against big oil.

The campaign for Proposition 23, funded primarily by two Texas oil companies was coordinated to repeal California’s global warming law, AB32.  This would also annul 72 existing energy laws and bring progress in the renewable energy industry to a halt.  The supporters of Proposition 23 wanted us to believe that these sanctions would end wasteful spending and save California jobs.  The fine print of Prop 23 said that AB32 would be repealed until unemployment plunges to a below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, but the level they are talking about has almost never been achieved in California.  The unemployment rate right now in California is at 12.4%

With about 3.5 million votes reported around midnight, early results showed that 59% voted against the proposition.  Opponents of Prop 23 were successful in raising $30 million, or more than 3 times the funds proponents were able to collect.  The campaign brought together many different environmental, social, business and political organizations together after news surfaced that the major donors in support of the bill were big oil companies.

Clean energy is one of California’s only bright spots in an otherwise depressed economy.  According to the state labor department, 500,000 people have green jobs and there are said to be 12,000 clean tech companies in the state.  Repealing AB32 would have hurt California jobs and eradicate renewable energy investment and innovation, which would have lasting effects on the state’s future economy.

The passage of Prop 23 would have been bad for everyone, including Massachusetts.  Instead of moving the country forward toward clean technology and farther away from fossil fuels, we would be rolling back the clock and using the same old excuses of “it’s not the right time” or “we just don’t have the money.”  With news that China has surpassed the U.S. to now be the top producer of renewable technologies, now is not the time for our country to step backward.  Let’s celebrate a clean energy win!