On February 8, 2023, the Assembly Budget Committee convened to hear public feedback on Governor Newsom’s proposed 2023-2024 state budget. The governor’s draft budget includes $6 billion in proposed cuts to climate and clean energy programs over the next several years. This budget will be revised again in May before a final vote by the state legislature. The Climate Center is urging state lawmakers to restore full funding to climate programs that will reduce pollution, clean our air, create jobs, grow the clean energy economy, and more.
The following testimony was given to the Assembly Budget Committee by Woody Hastings, Energy Program Manager for The Climate Center:
Good evening. We understand that the state is facing a large potential budget shortfall this year, but addressing the carbon budget can’t wait.
The Climate Center respectfully requests that the approximately $6 billion in proposed cuts to high-priority climate and energy reliability and resilience investments be restored. We believe that if these cuts remain, the state’s ability to meet its climate goals, and the goals of SB 100 for 100 percent clean energy and grid reliability, will be hindered. The Climate Center also believes some of the proposed cuts will disproportionately harm vulnerable communities that are on the frontlines of climate impacts.
Specifically, critical climate and energy-related budget cuts that concern The Climate Center include:
- $1.1 billion cut from zero-emission vehicle programs
- $800 million net cut from clean energy investments, including:
- $270 million cut from programs supporting residential solar and storage
- $87 million cut from building electrification programs
- $779 million cut from nature-based solutions initiatives, including:
- $100 million cut from urban greening programs
- $30 million cut from urban forestry programs
- $4.8 million cut from composting application programs
- $500 million net cut from extreme heat and community resilience programs
Thank you for your consideration.
