Today is Governor Jerry Brown's 100th day in office. To mark this occasion (and taking a step back from the seemingly endless budget wars), he is signing into law today a historic bill that will promote California's clean energy economy and create green-collar jobs.

A big step forward for California is "SBx1 2," which requires California's utilities to source a third of their electricity from renewable energy sources. Allies have been fighting for this for several years, and it's wonderful to see this finally make it to the desk of a Governor who could sign it. (Note: "SBx1 2" is translated as Bill #2 in the 1st special session (x1)  of the Senate (SB)).

At a slightly smaller scale -- but no less noteworthy -- is "SBx1 1" -- which provides $8 million per year for green career technical education in California's schools. This is a bill that the Ella Baker Center helped inspire, and then actually helped write and develop when it first emerged as SB 1672 in 2008 (and then SB 675 in 2009-2010).

Check out the first two paragraphs of the bill:

   "(1) California's international leadership in renewable energy,energy conservation, clean technology, and climate change policies creates significant opportunities to improve workforce development and educational opportunities for high school pupils in the fields of
energy conservation, clean technology, and renewable energy.

   (2) California has an opportunity to combine the education and training of both its future college-educated workforce and its highly skilled technical workforce with its effort to reduce high school dropout rates. Clean technology jobs and renewable energy jobs ("green collar jobs") can provide underserved communities with a pathway out of poverty, a new and inspiring focus for educational
institutions, and significant statewide economic and environmental benefits."