California Close, But Still Short of 20% Renewable Goal

While California is inching towards its goal of 20-percent statewide renewable energy by 2010, slow approval of renewable contracts have led to more setbacks and a 2013 extension for utility companies.

But despite the extended timeframe, the three major utilities, PG&E, SCE and SDG&E, are upping their requests for renewable contract approvals by nearly twice their average amount. This year, the number of contracts jumped to 50.

Currently, the projects that are in the works include 900 MW of Stirling solar thermal, 554 MW of Solel in the Mojave Desert, and 550 MW of OptiSolar thin-film near San Luis Obispo. So, why the delay on approvals for other projects?

The California Energy Commission, the entity responsible for approving permits for thermal power plants 50 MW and beyond, has a long and arduous process for allowing renewable generation facilities to move forward with a project. One of the most extensive is determining the type of permit necessary depending on the project size, location and type of technology being used.

Small projects must wait for a permit from the city or county, while projects slated for federal land must get approval from the Bureau of Land Management or the United States Forest Service.

While incorporating more renewable energy has been a slow process, California is certainly showing some progress. And that’s a start.

Photo Credit: CNET

Posted on July 1st in Solar News by Kayla.