Texas
In July 2005, the Texas Legislature boosted the
renewable portfolio standard so that it will
double the goal for the amount of wind power,
solar power and other forms of renewable energy in
the state's energy mix [see Senate Bill 20]. The
new goal calls for the state to obtain 5,880 MW,
or about five percent of the state's electricity,
from renewable energy by 2015. Of the total, 500
MW must come from renewable energy sources such as
solar and biomass. The law sets a long-range
target for the state to get 10 percent of its
electricity from renewable energy by 2025. The
legislation also streamlines the ability of the
Public Utility Commission to order construction of
new transmission lines to meet the state's
renewable goal.
More
Full Text of SB20 - July 2005
New Rules Project's section on Renewable Portfolio
Standards rules - July 2005
California
A
June 2005 report for the Energy Commission
indicates that the state's Energy Action Plan and
the California Energy Commission's Integrated
Energy Policy Report have expressed a state goal
of accelerating the implementation of the RPS such
that the 20-percent goal is met seven years early
- by 2010. The Governor has endorsed this
accelerated schedule and has set a goal of
achieving a 33-percent renewable energy share by
2020 for the state as a whole.
Regulatory rules implementing major portions of
the statute have been completed by the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the
California Energy Commission. The state's three
major investor-owned utilities (IOUs), through
interim renewable energy solicitations issued in
2002 and through bilateral contracts signed since
that time, have increased their purchases of
renewable energy.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) had the
farthest to go to meet the state's
RPS, with just one percent of its electricity
supply coming from eligible
renewable sources in 2002. Since that time, SDG&E
has signed renewable
energy contracts totaling approximately 275 MW of
capacity, and 4.5 percent
of the utility's retail sales in 2004 were from
renewable energy sources.
Southern California Edison (SCE) was heavily
invested in renewable energy
even before the establishment of the state's RPS.
SCE has increased its renewable energy purchases
from 17 percent in 2002 to 18.2
percent in 2004. In March 2005, SCE filed with the
CPUC six new renewable
contracts, totaling 142 to 428 megawatts (MW) of
capacity and representing
0.9 to 2.9 percent of SCE's retail sales.
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has increased
its renewable energy
purchases from 10.4 percent in 2002 to 12.4
percent in 2003, dropping to 11.7 percent in 2004
in part due to a poor hydro year.
Legislation
in Texas has doubled the state's commitment to renewable energy
development and a report on California's efforts indicates
progress on meet its 20 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS)
years earlier than required.