Sacramento, CA – Legislation giving California’s military bases the ability to invest in cleaner renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power was approved today on the Assembly floor in a bipartisan vote. Assembly Bill 2649, co-authored by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) will allow military bases to surpass the current one megawatt limit for uploading excess electricity from renewable sources to state’s utility grid. The one megawatt limit has been cited as a major reason preventing California military bases from investing in renewable energy.

“The current 1 megawatt limit for renewable energy generation on military bases makes it difficult for California bases to compete with bases in states like Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado and Texas, which do not have these caps,” stated Assemblyman Gorell. “This competitive disadvantage is a very important factor as we face a potential BRAC round in 2017, where bases will be evaluated for potential closure. This bill allows our bases throughout California to embrace new technology as global leaders and become more competitive.”

“Additionally, AB 2649 will create good job opportunities at military bases, developing and installing green energy. This bill is good for our economy, good for the environment, and good for the military.”

In current California law, military bases are considered a “single location or premises”, limiting their ability to generate renewable energy like solar and wind power to only 1 megawatt, a small fraction of the actual power needs of a modern military base.