Citing California's national leadership in clean energy investments and the need to solve the state's job crisis, union leaders, solar energy industry officials, and leading venture capitalists have come together to urge Californians to vote no on Proposition 23, an effort to repeal California's clean air and clean energy standards.
"California's clean air and clean energy law is the reason why the state's renewable energy sector is drawing large-scale investment and creating good jobs – now is not the time to halt this tremendous economic growth," said David Foster, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance, a partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations.
"Voting no on Prop 23 is the right thing to do to create jobs, to protect the environment and public health, and to move California's economy forward."
"The U.S. solar industry is poised for record growth in 2010 and much of that growth is in California," said Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.
"But this momentum is at risk as fossil fuel companies pour money into California to pass Prop 23. It would cost California hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic development. We have spent years building the solar industry in California. It is critical that Californians vote down Prop 23 and continue growing its clean energy economy."
Proposition 23 would effectively repeal the state's clean air and clean energy standards law, which is expected to create more than 100,000 jobs in the state and drive investment in the state's clean-tech sector.
From 2005-2009, the state's clean tech sector received $9 billion in venture capital investment, including $2.1 billion in 2009, which is 60 percent of North America's total investment.
"California's clean energy standards are key for attracting the kinds of venture capital investments that will jumpstart the clean energy sector in the United States," said Nancy Pfund, Managing Partner at DBL Investors.
"Proposition 23 would result in a chilling effect on clean-tech investments in California and its negative effect would be felt around the world."
"We have come together today – a broad group of industry leaders and participants – to say that California's clean air and clean energy law is key to growing California's economy, creating good jobs, and putting California on the global map for clean energy investment," said Marty Lagod, Vice-Chair of the Clean Economy Network and Firelake Capital Partner.
"Proposition 23 will take our state backwards and effectively halt this positive economic growth."
Local union leaders said that California's clean air and clean energy law is preserving and helping to create jobs during this economic downturn and that Proposition 23 would harm the state's – and the nation's – ability to attract investment and create jobs in the production of clean energy technologies.
"Proposition 23 will damage our state's ability to grow a strong, vibrant clean energy sector and to create and secure jobs for manufacturing workers and others hit hard by the current employment crisis," said Chris Youngmark, Assistant to the Director for United Steelworkers District 12.
"Other countries are already taking the lead in clean energy – and creating the jobs that come with it – and we can't afford to take another step backwards at this critical time."
