Legislature

As an outgrowth of a green jobs law passed last year by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state’s chief executive Monday launched the California Green Corps, a community college-based effort to prepare workers for jobs in the renewable energy and environmental sectors.

A proposal that surfaced Monday in the lower house of the Oregon Legislature bids to tighten the state’s authority in the siting process for liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. At least one LNG project proponent has labeled the proposal as unworkable and unnecessary, along with denying the state future economic benefits that could come with LNG imports.

Amidst the malaise of a two-month-old budget impasse as the California legislature ended its regular session during the Labor Day weekend, a bill was passed under the radar allowing the City of Long Beach and the state to renegotiate a deal with locally based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) to redrill the 76-year-old Wilmington oilfield near the Port of Long Beach. The bill needs the governor’s action by the end of September.

Amidst the malaise of a two-month-old budget impasse as the California legislature ended its regular session during the Labor Day weekend, a bill was passed under the radar allowing the City of Long Beach and the state to renegotiate a deal with locally based Occidental Petroleum Corp. (Oxy) to redrill the 76-year-old Wilmington oilfield near the Port of Long Beach.

It’s deja vu all over again in Mexico as the legislature readies to debate whether to reform the country’s national oil company.

It’s deja vu all over again in Mexico as the legislature readies to debate whether to reform the country’s national oil company.

In addition to the solar water heating rebate program (AB 1470), three other energy bills emerged before the California legislature adjourned its regular session Wednesday heading into a gubernatorial-called special session next week to deal with health care and some other specific issues. The three bills dealt with renewable energy and global climate change issues.

Another chapter in California’s growing attempts to harness its abundance of solar energy was written in the wee hours Wednesday morning when the state legislature passed a statewide incentive program for solar water heating (AB 1470). The measure will now go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is expected to sign it, according to the environmental group that helped craft the bill. The final Assembly vote was 43-29.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin called the state legislature into special session over the weekend to consider a slew of bills, including one that seeks to add more consistency and certainty to the state’s oil and natural gas royalty and tax systems.