Today we automatically think of California when we think of states that have gone green. California has emerged as a very strong leader in green technology and climate activism, providing an example to the rest of the nation through its large number of solar installations, financing and incentive options for solar systems, and many more initiatives. But it was only recently that California leapt into first place in the race to go green. In 2006 California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 32, which required that the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and set up a cap and trade program, to be initiated in 2012, for carbon emissions that was unrivaled in America. This bill is what truly jump started California’s green minded activism that has sparked in the last few years.

Besides helping California towards a more sustainable future, the bill has created lots of jobs as the state’s green economy has been growing due to statewide energy for green technology. Today California has over 62,000 solar projects, with over 600 MW installed, and AB 32 is not even supposed to reach its full potential until 2011. But unfortunately, the coming election may bring some setbacks to Caifornia’s incredible growth in the solar industry and towards its green, clean future. Large oil companies have managed to get a bill, Proposition 23, on the November Ballot. Prop 23 would essentially halt the efforts of AB 32 by claiming that the state cannot work on lowering their greenhouse gas emissions while so many people remain unemployed. The Proposition would put AB 32 on hold until the employment rate, now at 12.4%, decreased to 5.5%. Unfortunately, shutting down AB 32 would put a halt to the best source of new jobs that California has seen in recent times – solar and other green businesses that have seen a huge amount of growth due to AB 32 and California’s enthusiasm for growing the green economy.

Recently PG&E, the California utility that has supported AB 32 from the start, and has provided investment in solar leasing for California, came out against Proposition 23. They, like all of those who have supported AB 32, including Governer Schwarzenegger, who originally signed AB32, do not want to see the hard work they have put into the state to reduce carbon emissions go to waste for the state to move backwards in their efforts at a time when California should continue to be a leader in the green revolution.

All of those in favor of solar energy in California continuing to be a strong industry, and helping move California towards a more sustainable future must come out against Proposition 23 in order to keep AB 32 alive and active. Solar energy businesses working in California, such as Vermont based groSolar with offices in San Diego and the Bay Area, have seen the incredible energy for solar in California and they know that California must remain a leader in solar energy, as well as other environmental activism, to show the rest of the nation the way to a more sustainable future.