California lawmakers are currently developing legislation to increase the current 20% by 2010 Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 33% by 2020. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) have endorsed this change and it is a key greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy in the California Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Assembly Bill (AB) 32 Scoping Plan. As the principal agency responsible for implementing the current RPS program, the CPUC has learned many lessons that can help guide the design of a higher mandate. In addition, several recent analyses have cast light on various aspects of renewable energy development and integration. Drawing on these resources and new analyses, staff at the CPUC developed this report in order to provide new, in-depth analysis on the cost, risk, and timing of meeting a 33% RPS. This report does not recommend a preferred strategy on how to reach a 33% RPS, but rather provides an analytical framework for policymakers to weigh the tradeoffs inherent in any future 33% RPS program for California.
Working with a broad stakeholder group, including the investor-owned electrical utilities, industry experts, ratepayer advocates, and environmental groups, the study team, which consisted of CPUC staff and a consulting team, developed the preliminary results presented in this report. The report analyzes four different possible 33% RPS alternatives and articulates the costs and tradeoffs of each approach. The study team used the 33% RPS Reference Case to construct three illustrative timelines for achieving a 33% RPS. These timelines demonstrate how and when the state could plausibly build the necessary renewable generation and transmission to reach a 33% RPS.
Contact Information
All press inquiries should be made to Terrie Prosper at tdp@cpuc.ca.gov or (415) 703-2160.
For questions about the 33% RPS Implementation Analysis please contact Elizabeth Stoltzfus at eks@cpuc.ca.gov (415-703-5586).