California Community Solar Isn’t Working. SoCal Edison Wants to Redesign It

The utility would gather customers for community projects, alongside other new 100 percent clean electricity options.

Southern California Edison is asking regulators for permission to improve clean energy offerings for customers who can’t install rooftop solar.

The utility connects between 3,000 and 5,000 solar roofs per month, but many of its 15 million customers don’t own their homes or have access to a suitable rooftop for solar generation. By the company’s own admission, the existing program to serve those residents with community solar didn’t work well enough.

Public Utilities Commission Approves Utilities' Renewable Energy Plans

The California Public Utilities Commission today (CPUC) approved the renewable energy procurement plans for the state's largest utilities, a necessary milestone in the companies' goal of meeting their renewable energy obligations under California law. After filing final procurement plans with the CPUC, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) can now begin soliciting bids to fulfill their renewable energy requirements under the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) law.

Under the state's "RPS Procurement" procedure, the utilities can now issue requests for offers from producers of renewably sourced electricity. Utilities choose winning bids based on lowest cost and "best fit," then the CPUC and an independent evaluator will review the bids selected by each utility. The CPUC then signs off (or not) on contracts between the bidders and the utilities.

Geothermal heat pump bill signed into law

CaliforniaGeo applauds Governor Brown’s recent signing of AB 2339 (Williams) Energy Geothermal Technologies, into law on September 27, 2012 directing the California Energy Commission to lead an evaluation of policies and implementation strategies to promote widespread deployment of geothermal heat pump and geothermal ground loop technologies as a key component of a clean California energy future. AB 2339 is part of California’s renewed emphasis on a technology that has long been called the most effective method of heating and cooling buildings.

Utilities on track to meet RE goals: California Public Utilities Commission

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced today that the state's largest utilities have met interim goals for renewable energy development mandated by state law, and are well on their way to getting a third of their power from non-fossil fuels by 2020. (Full Report)

The state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) law requires that most providers of retail electrical power must average 20% renewable energy in the power they sell customers between 2011 and 2013, and 25% between 2014 and 2016. The CPUC says today that the state's three largest investor-owned utilities may well have met that interim goal.

California considers net metering change

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has proposed a decision that, if approved, will likely boost renewable energy use by homeowners, businesses, and commercial uses and lower energy costs for both solar and non-solar energy ratepayers.

The proposal, put forward by PUC Chairman Michael Peevey, clarifies the methodology to fairly calculate the cap on net energy metering, a billing arrangement that allows utility customers to offset energy use with their own renewable energy systems (such as electricity-generating solar panels). Net metering works like “rollover minutes,” with customers receiving credits on their bills for the excess power they generate that is put back on the grid.

California renewable energy plan now includes transmission

Renewable energy transmission development in California will be expedited, thanks to a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the state and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).

The MOU, signed by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Gov. Edmund G. Brown, D-Calif., expands a state and federal partnership that has laid the groundwork for hundreds of renewable energy projects in the state over the past two years.

Workshop at CPUC envisions regulations to support energy storage

By Brian Orion, Cleantech Law Partners

On June 28, 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission (“CPUC”) held the latest in a series of workshops aimed at establishing rules for bringing energy storage into the California energy system. The proceeding was undertaken pursuant to AB 2514, a bill passed in late-2010 calling for the CPUC to consider whether to require the utilities to incorporate energy storage into their energy procurement proceedings.