California aims to include health and environmental considerations, such as job creation and air quality, in future energy decisions to support meeting its zero-carbon electricity goal by 2045.
Emma Foehringer Merchant reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The unanimous vote introduces a method to evaluate "non-energy benefits" like health and job creation in energy resource decisions.
- This approach aims to favor clean energy projects, recognizing their broader social and environmental advantages.
- Advocates argue this will correct the oversight of social costs in traditional energy cost-benefit analyses, promoting equity and sustainability.
Key quote:
“We can’t leave communities behind. We can’t overburden communities.”
— Roger Lin, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity
Why this matters:
This move by California Energy Commission reflects a growing recognition of the need to inject health and environmental considerations into energy policy with an emphasis on community well-being and sustainability. As energy development pushes into vulnerable communities, communities are pushing back.
