Newsom Greenlights Skinner’s Climate Bills, Including SB 59, Using EVs to Power Homes

Gov. Gavin Newsom tonight greenlighted Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 59, which is designed to ensure that electric vehicle owners can use their EV’s battery to power their homes and reduce energy bills. The new law also designed to help relieve strain on the state’s electrical grid.

The governor on Thursday also signed Sen. Skinner’s SB 941, which will jumpstart the process of decarbonizing California’s industrial sector, which currently accounts for about 22% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions — the second-largest source of GHGs after transportation.

“California is a global leader in the fight against climate change, and Gov. Newsom and the Legislature have made substantial progress in addressing the crisis over the past several years. My 2024 climate bills carry on the state’s tradition of using an all-of-the-above approach to combat global warming,” said Sen. Skinner, D-Berkeley. “SB 59 will accelerate the transition to bidirectional charging so that EVs can provide clean energy to homes, slash utility bills, and stabilize the grid. And SB 941 will examine state-of-the-art advancements in clean energy that can be used to decarbonize our industrial sector.”

Both SB 59 and SB 941 take effect Jan. 1. To find out more about both new laws, click here.

Sen. Nancy Skinner represents the 9th Senate District and is chair of the Senate Housing Committee and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.