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SACRAMENTO, California, US, July 12, 2006
(Refocus Weekly)
Investor-owned electric utilities in California
have signed contracts for 2,520 to 3,954 MW of green power since
2002.
“California has the most aggressive renewable energy deployment
policy in the nation,” says the California Energy Commission. “The
Renewables Portfolio Standard is central to the state's renewable
goals and calls for 20% of the state's electricity supply to come
from eligible renewable energy sources by 2010.”
“Thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy capacity will be
needed to meet this aggressive target,” and the commission has
posted a database to make information about the contracting efforts
transparent. The data were developed from public information
available through filings with the California Public Utilities
Commission and other sources.
Since the RPS was established in 2002, Pacific Gas & Electric,
Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric have
conducted a number of renewable energy solicitations. From these
competitive solicitations, and through bilateral negotiations, the
utilities have signed contracts for 2,520 to 3,954 MW of new and
existing renewable energy projects, with the upper range reflecting
build-out options.
The totals include 1,363 to 2,448 MW for new, re-powered or
restarted renewable facilities, with 143 MW of these projects
currently online. In terms of percentages, 6% to 10% of the capacity
under contract for such facilities have begun operations.
The database shows that wind has been involved in 22 contracts, 14
each for biogas and biomass, seven for geothermal, four for small
hydro and two for solar thermal.
The two largest are SCE’s 500 MW Solar One facility (with build out
to 850 MW) and SDG&E’s 300 MW Solar Two project (with build out to
900 MW). The balance of the top ten projects include SDG&E 206 MW
purchase of wind from Pacific Wind facility, PG&E’s 120 MW
geothermal site at Military Pass-Newberry Volcano, PG&E’s 83 MW
windfarm with Pacific Renewable Energy Generation, PG&E’s 75 MW wind
purchase from the Shiloh 1 windfarm, PG&E’s 70 MW from the Geysers
#13 geothermal facility, 60 MW to SDG&E from the Oasis Power Systems
windfarm, and 50 MW of wind to SDG&E from the Kumeyaay windfarm.
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