California voters yesterday swatted down the state’s misguided Proposition 16, which is a glimmer of good news for clean-energy expansion.

The proposal was basically a market-share protection plan for the large utility PG&E; it would have made it more difficult for more ambitious, green-minded municipalities to create or expand their own public power services. The private utility PG&E poured a sick $46 million into the campaign (more background), one of the more brazen attempts by a corporation to gain competitive advantage through a ballot initiative.

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So California’s democratic system doesn’t get any more dysfunctional than it already was. Which is more than you can say for Congress. Hooray?

 

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