California's Vision for Reaching Zero-Carbon Emissions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Andres Sanchez Perez ◽  
Sarah Kurtz
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Reference System ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Public Utility ◽  
Public Input ◽  
California Energy Commission ◽  
Public Utility Commission ◽  
Zero Carbon

<div>In "The 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018" the California legislature set a target of 100\% of California's electricity generated from renewable and zero-carbon sources by 2045. </div><div>The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and other state entities now have the task of planning to meet that target. </div><div>The California Energy Commission (CEC) has sponsored multiple studies and sought public input on the pathways that they are exploring. </div><div>A key result of that planning process is a Reference System Portfolio (RSP) based on existing and planned electricity generating capabilities, and modeled grid build out to meet the planned targets by 2045 at the lowest cost. </div><div>Although this RSP has been discussed by the CEC in a public forum, to our knowledge, it has not been presented to the photovoltaic community.</div><div>Here we document the CEC’s current RSP, with emphasis on understanding their expectations for build out of solar as well as the associated need for storage and curtailment.</div>

scholarly journals Navigating the Winds of Change

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-363
Author(s):  
Dennis W. Donley ◽  
Stephanie S. Potter
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Utility ◽  
Wind Generation ◽  
Renewable Portfolio Standard ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Wind Energy Generation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Public Utility Commission ◽  
Generation Capacity

The State of Texas leads the United States in wind energy generation capacity—it has more than twice the wind generation capacity of the next-closest state, California. If Texas was an independent nation, it would rank sixth in the world in total installed wind capacity. Texas has a rich history of legislation and regulatory effort to thank for these statistics, which reflects the knowledge that energy and infrastructure drive the economy. Starting in 1999, Texas became one of the first states to enact a Renewable Portfolio Standard (“RPS”). The RPS set a state-wide goal for new renewable energy installation with deadlines for when that goal was to be met. In addition to passing an RPS, Texas also created Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (“CREZs”). CREZs are areas of Texas that have been designated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUCT”) to receive special benefits for wind transmission and development due to their strong wind resources and large financial commitments in the region by wind developers. These programs, and several others, have helped the wind industry in Texas grow exponentially to continually reach the goals set out by the RPS long before deadlines arrive. In fact, on a recent day towards the end of March, wind generation accounted for 29% of the electricity used by most Texans.

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