California, ever the progressive state, has introduced a new Senate bill to increase its renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 100% by 2045.
Sen. Kevin de Leon (D) introduced SB 584 last week. At the 2017 Solar Mounting Training Conference in Anaheim earlier this month, keynote Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of CALSEIA, told the audience that California was ready to make a renewable stand that may be opposite of the federal government’s plans. She said state governments would drive increased renewables adoption.
An RPS, according to NREL, is a regulatory mandate to increase production of energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and other alternatives to fossil and nuclear electric generation. California’s current RPS requires 50% of its electricity to come from renewables by 2030. A 100% goal is a major update. Only Hawaii has a 100% clean energy standard currently, which should be hit by 2040. If SB 584 passes, California would have five more years to reach its 100% goal.