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Tag Archives: California Public Utilities Commission

California Adopts Rules for Evaluating Multiple-Use Energy Storage Resources

By Michael Gergen, David Pettit and Christopher Randall The CPUC’s market-shaping decision provides guidance regarding the “stacking” of multiple electricity system services. A new decision from the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California (CPUC) has set the stage for improved economic viability for California’s energy storage industry. The January 17 decision — Decision … Continue Reading

Legislative Update: California Passes Groundbreaking Legislation Increasing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Mandates, But Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures Fail

By Marc T. Campopiano, Joshua T. Bledsoe, Douglas Porter, Danny Aleshire, Jennifer Roy and Andrew Yancey The end of the California State Legislature’s regular session for the year culminated in a frenzy of action, with Assembly members scrambling to pass dozens of bills before midnight on September 12, 2015. The California Legislature voted on a package … Continue Reading

RETI 2.0: CEC and CPUC Plan for New Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative to Meet California’s Increasing Clean Energy Commitments

By Joshua T. Bledsoe, Marc T. Campopiano, and Max Friedman As California begins to turn the page on the first chapter of its efforts to combat climate change through AB 32 and to prepare for greater emissions reductions over the coming decades, the California Energy Commission (CEC) and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are considering … Continue Reading

California Energy Commission Report Projects Local Electric Reliability Deficits By 2021, Potentially Triggering The Need For New Natural Gas Power Generation

By Michael Carroll, Marc Campopiano and Max Friedman The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released an August 2015 report projecting local reliability shortfalls in the Los Angeles basin planning area as early as 2021. The deficits may require new natural gas power generation to maintain grid reliability. This finding is part of the Integrated Energy … Continue Reading

CAISO Takes Step to Allow Distributed Energy Resources to Compete in Wholesale Energy Markets

By Joshua T. Bledsoe and Douglas K. Porter On June 10, 2015, the California Independent System Operator (“CAISO”) released a draft final proposal (the “Expanded Metering and Telemetry Options Phase 2, Distributed Energy Resource Provider”) that, if finalized, would represent an initial  step towards a regulatory structure that would result in distributed energy resources (“DERs”) … Continue Reading

CAISO Energy Storage Interconnection Initiative

By Michael J. Gergen, Eli Hopson, and Andrew H. Meyer The California Independent System Operator (“CAISO”) is moving forward with a stakeholder initiative to examine issues with connecting energy storage facilities to the CAISO controlled grid under the CAISO’s existing interconnection rules, and to develop new policies as needed to clarify and facilitate interconnection of energy … Continue Reading

Procurement Opportunities Across North America Indicate That Energy Storage Technologies May Be Poised For Commercial Deployment

By Michael J. Gergen, Eli. W. Hopson, and Andrew H. Meyer Across North America, investor-owned utilities (IOUs), publicly-owned utilities (POUs), and other load-serving entities are issuing unprecedented requests for proposals or offers (RFPs or RFOs) for advanced energy storage projects.  Recent significant developments regarding the energy storage procurement policy established by the California Public Utilities Commission … Continue Reading

California Public Utilities Commission Approves Pioneering Energy Storage Mandate

By Marc Campopiano, Neeraj Arora, Jared Johnson and Benjamin Gibson The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will require the state’s three large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to invest in a combined 1,325 MW of energy storage by the end of 2020, the first-such mandate in the United States.  The CPUC views increased deployment of energy storage … Continue Reading

California Energy Commission Releases Proposed Rules Allowing Biomethane to Qualify for the Renewables Portfolio Standards

By Marc Campopiano and Tim Henderson On March 11, 2013, the California Energy Commission (CEC) released a proposed Seventh Edition of the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Eligibility Guidebook (proposed Guidebook).  As we discussed in a previous blog entry, on March 28, 2012, the CEC suspended the RPS eligibility of power plants generating electricity using biomethane.  … Continue Reading

California Air Resources Board Attempts to Clarify Resource Shuffling Ahead of First Cap-and-Trade Auction

By Joshua T. Bledsoe, Tim B. Henderson, and Jared W. Johnson Seeking to quell uncertainty surrounding the definition of resource shuffling ahead of the first cap-and-trade auction on November 14, 2012, the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”) passed a Resolution on October 18, 2012, requiring the Executive Officer to redefine resource shuffling and provide concrete examples.  … Continue Reading

Roadblock to California Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Program Removed, but Others Remain

By Michael Feeley and Aron Potash A lawsuit which delayed and once threatened to dismantle California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) cap and trade scheme was largely resolved last week, removing one roadblock to California’s plan to be the first state to impose an economy-wide GHG trading program.  Under modified regulations adopted by the California Air Resources … Continue Reading

San Diego District Court Allows the 117-Mile Sunrise Powerlink Project to Proceed

By James L. Arnone, Damon P. Mamalakis, and Janice M. Schneider On June 30, 2011, District Judge Roger T. Benitez of the Southern District of California issued a decision allowing San Diego Gas and Electronic Company (SDG&E) to proceed with its construction of the Sunrise Powerlink, a 117-mile electrical transmission line that will connect the San … Continue Reading

The CPUC lifts stay on use of tradable renewable energy credits

On January 14, 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued Decision 11-01-025 lifting the stay on its earlier Decision 10-03-021 from March 2010 authorizing the use of unbundled renewable energy credits (RECs), known as Tradable Renewable Energy Credits (TRECs), as an additional compliance tool for the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (RPS program). TRECs … Continue Reading

CARB adopts renewable electricity standard raising mandate to 33% by 2020

On September 23, 2010, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously adopted the “Renewable Electricity Standard” (RES) to require most retail sellers of electricity to procure 33 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable resources by 2020. Established in Executive Order S-21-09, the RES is an independent requirement from California’s existing Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), … Continue Reading
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