USA, California:

Renewable Energy in the Golden State (California Energy Commission)

Geothermal energy provides 2,800 MW of state's renewable capacity, over 16% of renewables

The California Energy Commission has updated the Tracking Progress sector summary for renewable Energy.

Renewable energy is increasingly helping California meet its growing energy needs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and grow the state’s economy. The California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy Division supports the agency’s strong commitment to California’s renewable energy goals and policies.

California is a clean energy leader with an aggressive Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS). This standard requires all utilities in the state to achieve the following RPS targets:

• An average of 20 percent of retail electricity sales from renewable sources in 2011-2013. 
• 25 percent by the end of 2016. 
• 33 percent by the end of 2020.
• No less than 33 percent per year after 2020.

In 2013, California served about 22 percent of retail electricity sales from renewable energy generated from sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and small hydroelectric. Wholesale renewables physically located in California generated about 40,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, from about 16,400 megawatts (MW) of wholesale renewable capacity. California utilities purchased about 16,000 GWh from renewable facilities located out-of-state (this includes generation from 800 MW of out-of-state capacity considered in-state).

Wholesale renewable energy is generation that is sold to a utility or on the open market for resale. Total wholesale capacity on-line by the end of 2013 was 17,200 MW. Table 1 shows the mix by fuel type and includes out-of-state facilities for which the first point of interconnection is with a California balancing authority. Because they serve California loads, such facilities are considered in-state resources.

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