Within a couple of years, drivers in San Diego County can expect to see solar panels along the highway. That's the plan for Senate Bill 49, one of a number of energy-related legislation Sacramento lawmakers passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law. Some 840 bills managed to wend their way through the statehouse gauntlet in the recently completed session. Newsom has until Saturday to sign or veto those bills but this past weekend, the governor made a flurry of legislative decisions.
Opponents fear construction will cause habitat and environmental damage to two nearby nature preserves and criticized Atkins for adding the provision but Atkins said, “Given the growing impacts of climate change, it’s critically important that our state invests in safety nets that will bolster our energy resiliency and help us meet our climate goals.