California Watch: Wind

California Building Power Lines to a Renewable Future
Solve Climate Blog: December 21, 2009 by Matthew Berger

California regulators have approved a plan to carry the resources of a rural, wind-rich region of the state to the homes and businesses of Los Angeles and Southern California, bringing the state a step closer to meeting one of the world's most ambitious renewable energy goals.

The California Public Utilities Commission’s announcement Thursday means the main portion of a transmission line connecting the Tehachapi region of Kern County to consumers can go forward.

"This project will help bring renewable energy to the grid that would otherwise remain unavailable," PUC president Michael R. Peevey said. "Ensuring adequate transmission infrastructure is vital to helping the state reach its 20 percent renewable energy goal and will contribute significantly to meeting the 33 percent goal."

California’s renewable portfolio standard requires that 20 percent of the state’s electricity be from renewable sources by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020. In comparison, the European Union's RPS target is 20 percent by 2020.

The state established its RPS in 2002 with a goal of 20 percent renewable power by 2017. The state's Energy Commission and the PUC later urged upping those goals, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed, signing an executive order in September establishing the current 33 percent by 2020 target.

Projects like the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project, to be built by utility Southern California Edison, will also help the state reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, as a 2006 state bill mandates.

Currently, California emits 1.4 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, which would approximately tie it with France for 14th most if it were a country; the state’s economy would be in the top 10. Regulations outlining how California will reach its emissions-reduction goals are to be released next year and adopted in 2011. READ MORE !