California Ahead of Renewable Energy Goals, data shows

California’s leadership role in advancing the use and availability of renewable energy continues as evidenced by results of a California Energy Commission report which estimates that 30 percent of the state’s electric energy currently comes from renewable energy sources.

The state’s progress with renewables is also evidenced by data from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) which shows renewable energy penetration of as much as 40 percent.

The Energy Commission data appears in the Energy Commission’s tracking progress report on renewable energy. That report is a proxy for measuring the state’s progress toward its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). The RPS establishes increasingly progressive renewable energy procurement targets for California.

California’s renewable energy targets include sourcing 30 percent of its electric energy from renewables by 2020 and 50 percent by 2030.

When large hydro power is added to the renewables sourcing calculation it puts California at more than 40 percent at electric energy sourcing from renewable energy. In 2016 large hydro accounted for 10 percent of the state’s power production. Unlike other states, California does not factor in large hydro power in its RPS measurements.

A daily and monthly look at the state’s energy sourcing shows robust sourcing of renewables. Data compiled by CAISO show the average renewable energy penetration in November was 42.2 percent.

And during a one five-minute period in November California sourced 60 percent of its energy from renewable sources, according CAISO, which manages the state’s power grid.
Increasing renewable energy capacity, especially wind and solar power, is critical to California meeting RPS goals. The Energy Commission’s tracking progress report shows that wind and solar now accounts for 67 percent of all the state’s renewable energy generation.