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.
