Long Live AB 32

As Californians witnessed leading up to yesterday’s election, Proposition 23, which called for the suspension of the State’s landmark AB 32 law (the Global Warming Solutions Act), was one of the most debated items on the ballot.

While proponents of the proposition pegged Prop 23 as a “jobs initiative,” the real thrust of the proposition was to suspend AB 32 until unemployment reaches a level of 5.5% for four consecutive quarters, a mark that has been hit only a few times in the last 30 years. As a consequence, Prop 23 was effectively a repeal of the law.

Here at Applied Materials, we stood firmly against Prop 23 and the repeal of AB 32 along with a broad and diverse coalition including the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; American Lung Association in California; AARP; the Sierra Club; NAACP; the California Nurses Association; Small Business California; and dozens of other groups. Governor-elect Jerry Brown, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Barbara Boxer all also opposed Prop 23.

With AB 32 still intact, Applied Materials will continue with energy efficiency as a cornerstone of our work as it has been for the past forty years, creating solutions that help make electronic innovations like flat panel TVs, smart phones and powerful computers both possible and affordable. We will continue applying this same capability to help our customers make solar power more accessible to everyone, everywhere. The defeat of Prop 23 sends a clear message that Californians and the rest of the nation are committed to protecting our environment and promoting a clean tech industry domestically.

Thank you fellow Californians for your support in our effort to continue to foster jobs and economic growth in California and around the nation as we move forward in the development of clean energy and the reduction of greenhouse gases.