Energy Commission Debuts Blog
On California Energy Policies
In honor of Earth Day, the California Energy Commission is launching a blog to highlight work being done to help California meet the country’s most aggressive climate and energy goals.
As the State’s primary energy policy and planning agency, the Energy Commission promotes efficiency and conservation, supports cutting-edge research, develops renewable energy resources, and invests in game-changing innovation. Since 1975, the Commission’s work has:
This blog will be a public resource highlighting progress in our six oversight areas:
Our goal is to provide commentary that brings to life the environmental and economic benefits of California energy policies and their role shaping our energy future.
We welcome your feedback and look forward to helping consumers, businesses, the media, elected and appointed officials, our allies, and other key stakeholders understand what is being done at the state level and why it matters.
Subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates on California energy and climate policies that are delivering energy choices that are affordable, reliable, diverse, safe and environmentally acceptable.
As the State’s primary energy policy and planning agency, the Energy Commission promotes efficiency and conservation, supports cutting-edge research, develops renewable energy resources, and invests in game-changing innovation. Since 1975, the Commission’s work has:
- Annually saved nearly 40,000 TWh of electricity—equivalent to the amount used in Orange and San Diego counties—by adopting aggressive energy efficiency building and appliance standards.
- Reduced the use of energy, water and greenhouse gas emissions by siting geothermal and large-scale solar plants that helped California exceed its 2013 Renewables Portfolio Standard target of 20 percent and be on track to meet the 2020 target of 33 percent.
- Eliminated the daily use of millions of gallons of ocean and estuarine water and protected related marine ecosystems by supporting a policy that calls for eliminating power plants’ use of Once Through Cooling.
- Created thousands of green-collar and manufacturing jobs by investing in companies such as Tesla and Sunpower, two California-based businesses that received early stage grants that helped them become global industry leaders.
This blog will be a public resource highlighting progress in our six oversight areas:
- Forecasting future energy needs.
- Promoting energy efficiency and conservation by setting the state's appliance and building efficiency standards.
- Supporting public-interest energy research that advances the science and technology through development and demonstration programs.
- Developing renewable energy resources and alternative renewable energy technologies for buildings, industry, and transportation.
- Licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts or larger.
- Planning for and directing state response to energy emergencies.
Our goal is to provide commentary that brings to life the environmental and economic benefits of California energy policies and their role shaping our energy future.
We welcome your feedback and look forward to helping consumers, businesses, the media, elected and appointed officials, our allies, and other key stakeholders understand what is being done at the state level and why it matters.
Subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates on California energy and climate policies that are delivering energy choices that are affordable, reliable, diverse, safe and environmentally acceptable.
Tool Tracks California's Renewable Energy Progress
Tool Tracks California's Renewable Energy Progress
California's clean energy policies have helped the state double the delivery of
renewable energy to the grid since the Renewables Portfolio Standard
(RPS) was launched in 2002. The state requires utilities to meet 33 percent of retail sales from eligible renewable resources by 2020. By the end of 2012, an estimated 22 percent of retail sales were from renewable resources.
California has an estimated 17,400 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, enough to power more than 4 million homes. This represents more than twice the renewable generating capacity that was online in 2002 when the program began.
The California Energy Commission recently launched the Tracking Progress tool
to track progress toward the state's energy goals. The site provides
detailed information on a variety of energy programs, including the RPS
and the Governor's goal of installing 12,000 MW of renewable distributed
generation (DG) by 2020. Distributed generation is small-scale
renewable energy facilities that are 20 MW or less in size. California currently has about 4,400 MW of operating DG and, if all
renewable DG programs are fully subscribed by 2020, California will have
about 9,000 MW of renewable DG. By transforming the market for
renewable DG, these programs could also lead to the installation of the
nearly 3,000 MW of additional capacity needed to achieve the 12,000 MW
goal.
As one of its RPS responsibilities, the Energy Commission verifies renewable generation claims and uses the findings to determine compliance by the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and publicly owned utilities. The most recent verification report covers preliminary verification of eligible renewable generation from 2008 through 2010 for the IOUs and covers nearly 1,880 claims.
Updates for the Renewable Energy Tracking Progress tool are available quarterly.
As one of its RPS responsibilities, the Energy Commission verifies renewable generation claims and uses the findings to determine compliance by the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and publicly owned utilities. The most recent verification report covers preliminary verification of eligible renewable generation from 2008 through 2010 for the IOUs and covers nearly 1,880 claims.
Updates for the Renewable Energy Tracking Progress tool are available quarterly.
California Schools to Receive Energy Efficiency Funds
Prop. 39 to Provide an Estimated $2.5 Billion to Retrofit Schools
The California Energy Commission is helping schools get much-needed energy efficiency funding from the California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Prop. 39).
Approved by voters in 2012, Prop. 39 changes how the state collects corporate income taxes and provides millions of dollars annually to improve energy efficiency at California schools. Energy costs savings resulting from the projects can be reinvested back into schools for educational purposes. The projects will also help create clean energy jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the next five years, Prop. 39 will transfer an estimated $2.5 billion in new revenues to create clean energy jobs and provide funding to retrofit projects for local educational agencies (LEAs) and community colleges. LEAs include California's K-12 public schools, charter schools, county offices of education, and state special schools. According to the statute, up to $550 million may be available to be appropriated every year through fiscal year 2017-2018.
For the fiscal year 2013-14, the Legislature appropriated: $381 million to LEAs; $47 million to California community college districts; $28 million to the Energy Commission for a low- and no-interest revolving loan program and technical assistance; and $3 million to the California Workforce Investment Board. Governor Brown's 2013-14 Budget Act also appropriated $5 million to the California Conservation Corps. Amounts received by the LEAs varies based on a formula of average daily attendance and the number of students eligible to receive free and reduced-priced meals in the prior year. Annual funding ranges from $15,000 up to tens of millions of dollars per school district.
As schools and community colleges begin identifying energy needs, Energy Commission staff is explaining the preliminary guidelines and funding allocations for eligible LEAs. Five public meetings and three webinars were held recently to collect public comment on draft guidelines. The Energy Commission plans to consider approving the final program implementation guidelines at its December 19 business meeting.
Approved by voters in 2012, Prop. 39 changes how the state collects corporate income taxes and provides millions of dollars annually to improve energy efficiency at California schools. Energy costs savings resulting from the projects can be reinvested back into schools for educational purposes. The projects will also help create clean energy jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the next five years, Prop. 39 will transfer an estimated $2.5 billion in new revenues to create clean energy jobs and provide funding to retrofit projects for local educational agencies (LEAs) and community colleges. LEAs include California's K-12 public schools, charter schools, county offices of education, and state special schools. According to the statute, up to $550 million may be available to be appropriated every year through fiscal year 2017-2018.
For the fiscal year 2013-14, the Legislature appropriated: $381 million to LEAs; $47 million to California community college districts; $28 million to the Energy Commission for a low- and no-interest revolving loan program and technical assistance; and $3 million to the California Workforce Investment Board. Governor Brown's 2013-14 Budget Act also appropriated $5 million to the California Conservation Corps. Amounts received by the LEAs varies based on a formula of average daily attendance and the number of students eligible to receive free and reduced-priced meals in the prior year. Annual funding ranges from $15,000 up to tens of millions of dollars per school district.
As schools and community colleges begin identifying energy needs, Energy Commission staff is explaining the preliminary guidelines and funding allocations for eligible LEAs. Five public meetings and three webinars were held recently to collect public comment on draft guidelines. The Energy Commission plans to consider approving the final program implementation guidelines at its December 19 business meeting.
California's Microgrids: Demonstrating Self-Reliant Energy
The California Energy Commission's research and development program funds projects that bring environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to the marketplace. This includes funding of microgrid research that has contributed to the development of UC San Diego's (UCSD) innovative smart grid system. This video explores the benefits of UCSD's microgrid system and how it is helping energy researchers at the US Navy deploy smart grid technology at military bases.
The California Energy Commission's research and development program funds projects that bring environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to the marketplace. This includes funding of microgrid research that has contributed to the development of UC San Diego's (UCSD) innovative smart grid system. This video explores the benefits of UCSD's microgrid:
The California Energy Commission's research and development program funds projects that bring environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to the marketplace. This includes funding of microgrid research that has contributed to the development of UC San Diego's (UCSD) innovative smart grid system. This video explores the benefits of UCSD's microgrid: