http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a40/News_Room/Press/20090429AD40PR01.aspxCalifornia-Israel Cooperative Agreement on Renewable Energy Approved by Assembly Committee
Sacramento, CA – A bill authored by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D – Woodland Hills) calling for a cooperative agreement on renewable energy between California and Israel was approved by the Assembly committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy today. Speaking in support of the bill were the Jewish Public Affairs Committee (JPAC) and Faith2Green, a leading southern California environmental organization. The Anti-Defamation League of California also supports the measure.
Assemblymember Blumenfield made the following statement regarding the bill:
“Cooperative bilateral agreements between California and Israel have been used successfully over the years to encourage the growth of mutually beneficial trade and investment relations in such areas as high technology, tourism, biomedicine, and agro-technology. So-called “memos of understanding” (MOUs) with foreign countries provide the framework within which California companies, colleges and universities work to promote international trade, investments and development of business opportunities mutually beneficial to the parties.
“California and Israeli companies worked together to build the world’s largest solar power plant that has generated approximately 90 percent of the world’s commercial solar-derived electricity in the past 19 years. In 2009, an Israeli company, BrightSource, joined with Southern California Edison to build the largest solar energy plant in the world, generating 1,300 megawatts of power per year. These are just two examples of the mutually beneficial relationship that can be pursued in the field of renewable resources.
“This bill, AB 1032, provides for a bilateral agreement between California and Israel to promote business investments and spur development of renewable energy technologies for the global market. Among other things, the bilateral agreement, to be administered by the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, would provide for:
improved strategic coordination in renewable energy technology development
facilitated collaboration among business and academics to increase global market opportunities and employment associated with renewable energy technologies
promotion of the development and production of innovative and globally competitive renewable energy products that would contribute to sustained job growth in California and Israel
assessment of the feasibility of establishing an industry sector-specific consortium to encourage the transfer and commercialization of technology in renewable energy sectors.
The bill passed on a bi-partisan, unanimous vote of 6 – 0. It will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee at a hearing in May.