The legislation in question, Assembly Bill 32, also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, aims to bring statewide carbon emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020 by encouraging clean energy development and placing new limits on polluters.
The new ballot initiative, which is heavily financed by Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro, would essentially freeze this law until the state's unemployment rate is more than halved to 5.5 percent - a potentially indefinite halt given the current slow state of national job creation.
"This deceptive initiative would kill competition and jobs from solar and other clean energy industries at the worst possible time," said Sue Kateley, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association. "Solar businesses and other renewable energy companies are thriving in California because of our state’s clean energy and clean air laws."
A wide range of economic, environmental and social organizations have come together to oppose this effort, noting that California is among the nation's leaders in solar energy production and development.
