Senate Bill 350 Establishes New Golden State Standards

Last September, California Governor Edmund G. Brown signed milestone legislation into law establishing the nation’s highest targets for expanding renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency. Senate Bill 350 (SB 350) creates new “Golden State Standards” that will require 50 percent of electricity to be generated by renewable sources such as wind, solar, and biomass by 2030, and will also require energy efficiency in existing buildings to be increased by 50 percent by that same year. In addition to promoting clean renewable energy and reducing energy consumption, this new law is part of California’s aggressive carbon-cutting strategy to battle climate change.

California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program initially set a target to achieve 20 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2010. In 2013, the RPS target was increased to 33 percent renewable energy by 2020. With California already on target to meet the 2020 RPS goal, the Governor proposed an aggressive increase in the RPS goal in his “state of the State” address in January 2015 and the legislature followed through by passing SB 350 in September.

SB 350 makes these new standards trackable and enforceable by enacting them into law and building on accountability mechanisms already in place to ensure they are fully implemented. The 50 percent RPS standard will be implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for investor-owned utilities and by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for municipal utilities. Each utility submits a procurement plan showing it will purchase clean energy to displace other non-renewable resources and these plans are reviewed by each State agency for compliance with the law. California has more than doubled its renewable energy capacity in the last few years and currently has more than 21,000 megawatts online. The 50 percent increase for energy efficiency in buildings will be accomplished through the use of existing energy efficiency retrofit funding and regulatory tools already available under existing law.

Aspen continues to be a leader in assisting State and local agencies in achieving the State’s renewable energy goals. Aspen provides professional services for the CPUC both in reviewing individual projects to help achieve the RPS goals, such as preparing the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project EIR/EIS, and in preparing plans for the procurement of renewable energy. Aspen also assists the CEC in reviewing proposals for solar thermal projects across the State and in developing plans and programs to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Aspen also assists local and regional agencies in formulating plans and policies to guide the development of renewable energy projects.