Solar energy: official state energy.

Assembly Member Wallis seeks to designate solar energy as California's official state energy, placing it alongside existing state symbols like the golden poppy and California redwood through new provisions in the Government Code.

The legislation's findings highlight California's pioneering role in solar energy development, from early solar water heating technologies in the 1920s to the 2006 Million Solar Roofs Initiative. The state now hosts over 2 million solar installations on homes, buildings, and parking structures, along with utility-scale facilities like the Ivanpah Solar Power Plant in San Bernardino County and Solar Star in Kern County. According to the bill text, solar energy provided 30 percent of California's electricity generation in 2022, with installed capacity exceeding 30 gigawatts - surpassing the combined solar markets of 42 other states.

The measure requires a simple majority vote for passage and carries no direct fiscal impact or enforcement provisions. Like other official state symbol designations, its primary function is recognition rather than regulation, adding solar energy to California's collection of state emblems that represent its cultural and natural heritage.