California Renewable Electricity Standard
AB 64/SB 14
California Needs to Increase its Use of Clean, Renewable Sources of Electricity
One essential tool to enable this to happen is increasing the state’s Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to at least 33 percent by 2020.
The current RES statute, often referred to as the Renewables Portfolio Standard, requires regulated electric utilities to increase their use of wind, solar and other eligible renewable electricity sources by at least one percent per year, reaching at least 20 percent by 2010.
While municipal utilities are required to adopt their own RES, they are not yet bound by the same statutory requirements and oversight as the investor-owned utilities.
A 33 Percent Renewable Electricity Standard Will Benefit Californians
- Displace nearly 13 million metric tons of global warming pollution in 2020—equivalent to removing almost three million cars from the road, or enough to avoid 10 to 15 new large fossil fuel power plants.¹
- Stimulate clean technology investment and innovation and increase green collar jobs by sending a clear market signal that new renewables will be developed in our state.
- Provide market certainty for renewable energy developers, investors and planners of renewables projects and transmission.
- Diversify the state’s energy supply and help protect consumers from natural gas price volatility.
- Help meet our global warming pollution cap under AB 32.
- Promote long-term infrastructure planning to enable expansion of renewable energy.¹
- Improve air quality in impacted communities by reducing future fossil fuel generation.
Clearing the Air
Roughly 22 percent of our state’s global warming emissions result from electricity used in California. Increasing the amount of electricity from renewable sources will help address global warming by reducing these heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, a strong renewable energy standard will improve the air we breathe by shifting away from an over-reliance on fossil fuels toward cleaner sources that emit less air pollution.
California: A Leader in Renewables
A clear and enforceable 33 percent RES for all utilities would expand California’s renewable energy market and its clean tech industry. The incremental progress from a 20 percent to a 33 percent requirement for renewable energy will result in 13,000 new megawatts of renewable power—enough to meet the electricity needs of 6 million typical homes. Achieving the full 33 percent requirement would likely provide enough renewable energy in the state to power almost every residential home with green energy by 2020.
Action Needed in the State Legislature
The California state legislature is considering bills that would raise the RES to at least 33 percent. A 33 percent RES is supported by leadership in both chambers of the state legislature, as well as the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. Additionally, the California Air Resources Board has adopted the 33 percent RES as a core strategy to achieve the state’s cap on global warming pollution under AB 32.
In addition to reducing global warming pollution and promoting air quality benefits, any bill to increase California’s renewable electricity standard should adhere to the following principles:
- It must set a clear, enforceable statutory obligation, with interim requirements, that all utilities obtain at least 33 percent of the electricity for their customers from eligible renewable sources by 2020.
- It must provide economic certainty and generous pricing policies for the renewables industry and encourage all utilities to sign long-term contracts for viable projects.
- It must include meaningful enforcement and appropriate flexibility; however, it must not include off-ramps to nowhere.
- It must promote the development of renewable energy facilities that can create quality green collar jobs.
- It must simplify the RPS program and provide for regulatory stability.
¹According to the California Public Utilities Commission, increasing the RES from 20 to 33 percent will result in 12.8 million metric tons of global warming emission reductions in 2020. See: California Public Utilities Commission Final Opinion on Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Strategies, October 16, 2008, p.39.
