California's new and returning statewide elected officials, all Democrats, were sworn in to their new four-year terms. Returning Governor Jerry Brown used his speech to commit to bold new environmental commitments regarding petroleum use and the state's renewable energy portfolio.

California's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, commonly known as AB32, already requires the state to reduce its emissions levels to 1990-era levels by 2020, and Brown said that the state is well on its way to doing that. But on top of these already ambitious goals, Brown committed that by 2030, California would obtain at least half of its electricity from renewable sources; reduce petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent; and double the energy efficiency of existing buildings.

On the petroleum front, a recent regulation will give Brown some assistance. AB32 established a cap-and-trade program for the state's biggest stationary emitters, requiring them to buy offsets from the state for the carbon they emitted. But this past January 1, wholesalers of transportation fuels also became subject to the cap, meaning that they too will have a market incentive to reduce the amount of carbon in their fuels to avoid having to buy as many credits on the open market.

Photo: charging an electric car