California:

Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez's Renewable Energy Bill Pulled (Desert Sun)

AB 177 would have prioritized geothermal energy in California

Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez

A bill by Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez that once sought to increase California’s renewable energy standards has been pulled from consideration in the Legislature.

Pérez, a Coachella Democrat, said he disagreed with amendments that were added into Assembly Bill 177 during committee hearings to deal with costs of integrating green energy sources to the grid.

Utilities have been seeking new regulations that will allow them to include the greater costs of integrating intermittent wind and solar to the grid as one way to help geothermal compete. But Pérez on Thursday said he feared the change to his legislation could ultimately add costs to consumers.

“It’s not our focus. Our focus was to prioritize geothermal,” Pérez said. “I didn’t want to go there. I didn’t want to move a bill that could potentially raise costs for wind and solar, and ultimately the ratepayer.”

Pérez is now planning new legislation to achieve a related goal of having the California Energy Commission to examine the issues and barriers surrounding geothermal as part of the state’s Integrated Energy Policy Report.

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