Report concludes that geothermal technologies have made important strides in development cost reduction and generation flexibility, and development in the Salton Sea area offers important co-benefits.
To meet its 50% renewable portfolio standard, the study assumes that California will need to tap an additional 25 to 53 TWh of renewable energy between 2020 and 2030. Based on a 30% capacity factor, that translates into a need for 9.4 to 20.3 GW of new renewable capacity. That figure spikes to 76 TWh (29 GW) under a scenario of accelerated vehicle electrification in the state.
While low-cost utility-scale solar is already cost-competitive throughout California, its continued growth will become costly without the integration of other types of renewable resources to balance out the generation profile for solar.
To counter that effect, California will require access to low-cost renewable resources both inside and outside the state, “especially wind and geothermal resources with generation profiles complementary to California solar generation.” The state’s power producers will also need access to energy markets outside California to offload excess generation and reduce ratepayer costs, the study said.
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