SACRAMENTO – Less than 48 hours after the California Senate passed Senate Bill 1279, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Sen. Loni Hancock’s bill to halt future state funding for any new project that would allow coal to be shipped or exported through California.
“When I introduced this measure, many people thought a coal-export terminal in West Oakland was a done deal,” Hancock, D-Oakland, said, referring to Senate Bill 1279. “Today, people can breathe easier knowing that beginning in January no coal-related projects will receive state funding.”
Brown, in his signing message, praised state efforts to transition away from coal.
“In California, we’re divesting away from thermal coal in our state pensions, shifting to renewable energy and, last year, coal exports from California ports declined by more than one third, from 4.65 million to 2.96 million tons,” Brown said. “That’s a positive trend we need to build on.”
Read Hancock's press release on SB 1279 HERE. (Graphic by Chuck Haines/Senate Staff).
