CA Ratchets Up Renewable Standard Even More

The California Air Resources Board recently adopted a new standard, calling for 33 percent of the energy sold in the state in 2020 to come from renewable energy sources. According to the agency’s press release, the standard will promote new green jobs, reduce air pollution, insulate the state’s economy from the volatility of natural gas prices, and “establish the state as a global leader in the research, development and manufacturing of clean, renewable energy sources.”

The regulation applies to all utilities that deliver electricity, including public and private, and is consistent for all of them. It will be phased in, with interim targets of 20 percent renewable for 2012-2014, 24 percent for 2015-2017, and 28 percent for 2018-2019. Providers who sell less than 200,000 megawatt-hours per year are subject only to recordkeeping and reporting requirements.