Dive Brief:

• California Gov. Jerry Brown wants the state get half its power from renewable sources in the next 15 years, along with cutting in half the petroleum used by cars and trucks, the New York Times reports. 
• Brown also called for doubling the efficiency of existing buildings and making heating fuels cleaner.
• The governor noted a variety of innovative utility technologies would be required to achieve these goals, including rooftop solar, micro grids, battery storage and low-carbon vehicles.

Dive Insight:

California Gov. Jerry Brown has begun his fourth term by laying out aggressive goals the state will need to pursue for a decade after he leaves office. In the next 15 years he wants California to expand renewable resources, slash vehicle fuel use and double the efficiency of existing buildings.

Meeting those goals, said Brown, "means that we continue to transform our electrical grid, our transportation system and even our communities."

"I envision a wide range of initiatives: more distributed power, expanded rooftop solar, micro-grids, an energy imbalance market, battery storage, the full integration of information technology and electrical distribution and millions of electric and low-carbon vehicles," he said in prepared remarks. "How we achieve these goals and at what pace will take great thought and imagination mixed with pragmatic caution. It will require enormous innovation, research and investment. And we will need active collaboration at every stage with our scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, businesses and officials at all levels."

Brown said the state is well on its way to reducing carbon pollution and limiting the emissions of heat-trapping gases to 431 million tons by 2020. "But now, it is time to establish our next set of objectives for 2030 and beyond," he said.