California Utilities' Renewable Energy Spending Up (San Francisco Gate)
California utilities spent more than $2.53 billion in 2011 buying electricity from solar, wind and geothermal plants to satisfy the state's ambitious renewable power goals, according to a report issued Thursday.
That figure represented a 16 percent increase from 2010, when California's three big investor-owned utilities spent $2.18 billion.
In three reports sent to the Legislature Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission tries to add up some of the costs triggered by the renewable standard as well as gauge the utilities' progress toward meeting the 33 percent goal.
The reports do not estimate the impact on customers' monthly bills. Renewable prices are falling as more new solar, wind and geothermal facilities open. But the utilities have still warned that the push to buy renewable power will raise customers' bills. PG&E, for example, estimates that renewable contracts will add about 1 to 2 percent to bills each year through 2020.
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