Gov. Jerry Brown’s fourth and last term as California’s governor begins today. Brown was sworn-in to office Monday morning and quickly offered an ambitious vision for continuing to wean the state off carbon-based fuels. From the Los Angeles Times:

By 2030, Brown wants California to derive 50% of its electricity from renewable sources, up from the goal of 33% by 2020. He also wants to double the energy efficiency of existing buildings and reduce by half the use of petroleum by cars and trucks. 

Going on a wonky tangent in a speech otherwise characterized by generalities, Brown detailed possible innovations like “expanded rooftop solar, micro-grids, an energy imbalance market, battery storage” and others. 

Brown also touched upon other frequent topics such as the state’s improving economy, prison realignment, high-speed rail and pension reform. From the Sacramento Bee:

Brown said he planned to deal with the state’s longstanding retirement and healthcare obligations “one at a time,” saying he’ll ask state workers to help start paying a larger share of rapidly rising retiree health obligations. “We must build on rock, not sand, so that when the storms come, our house stands,” Brown said.

On Friday, Brown will unveil a proposal for the state’s budget.

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