Center For Energy Efficiency And Renewable Technologies

PROMOTE GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS AND CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES FOR CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST.

IN 2021, CEERT: SAW OUR YEARS OF VIGOROUS BUT FRUSTRATED ADVOCACY FINALLY BEAR FRUIT WHEN THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (CPUC) ORDERED AN UNPRECEDENTED 11,500-MEGAWATT (MW)PROCUREMENT OF CLEAN-ENERGY RESOURCES, EQUIVALENT TO APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE ELECTRIC GRIDS PEAK SUMMER LOAD. SUCCESSFULLY URGED THE CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR (CAISO) TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL KEY PROJECTS IN ITS TRANSMISSION PLANNING PROCESS. THE FINAL 2021-2022 TPP APPROVED A MASSIVE INCREASE IN SPENDING FROM PAST YEARS TO BUILD 23 TRANSMISSIONPROJECTS THAT WILL CONNECT NEW, CLEANLY GENERATED ENERGY TO THE GRID FOR THE CPUCS11,500 MW PROCUREMENT, THE ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION AND BUILDINGS, AND THEREPLACEMENT OF OUTMODED GAS-FIRED PLANTS AND DIABLO CANYONS NUCLEAR REACTORS. FOCUSED ON TRANSMISSION UPGRADES AND EXPANSIONS IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY TO TAP NEWUTILITY-SCALE SOLAR PROJECTS ON RETIRED FARMLAND; IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY TO BRING MORE AROUND-THE-CLOCK GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FROM THE SALTON SEA; AND IN LOS ANGELES TO MOVE NEW CLEAN ENERGY WITHIN THE BASIN AND BRING IN LOW-COST WIND POWER FROM NEARBY STATES. ARGUED STRONGLY FOR THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD (CARB) AND THE CPUC TO ADOPT A 30 MILLION METRIC TON GREENHOUSE-GAS EMISSION CEILING FOR THE POWER SECTOR, WHICH WOULD SET A LEVEL OF GHGS LOW ENOUGH TO ALLOW CALIFORNIA TO ACHIEVE ITS CLIMATE AND CLEAN-ENERGY GOALS. KEPT UP OUR STRENUOUS ADVOCACY IN THE RULEMAKING ON MINIMIZING OR ELIMINATING THE USE OF THE ALISO CANYON GAS STORAGE FACILITY, SITE OF THE LARGEST METHANE LEAK IN U.S. HISTORY. WE SUPPORTED A DECISION ADOPTING A LOWER CEILING FOR THE FACILITYS STORAGE CAPACITY, AND RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS THAT WOULD ALLOW ALISO CANYONS CLOSURE. ENABLED CEERTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR V. JOHN WHITE AND SENIOR ADVISOR, JOSE CARMONA TO SERVE ON THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ONIMPLEMENTATION OF THE LA 100% CLEAN ENERGY PLAN. LADWP IS THE NATIONS LARGEST MUNICIPAL UTILITY AND IS COMMITTED TO A CLEAN-ENERGY FUTURE. HELPED CARRY OUT A KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER PLAN TO ADVANCE THE VIABILITY OF EXTRACTINGLITHIUM, AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT FOR VEHICLE AND STORAGE BATTERIES, FROM BRINE THAT GEOTHERMAL ENERGY PLANTS PUMP FROM DEEP IN THE EARTH. CONTINUED WORKING ON A NEW ENHANCED DAY-AHEAD MARKET FOR THE WESTERN STATES, WHICHWILL RESULT IN IMPROVED TRANSMISSION PLANNING, RENEWABLES TRADING, AND COST SAVINGS. COLLABORATED WITH OUR ALLIES AND CARB STAFF ON THE ADVANCED CLEAN CARS REGULATION II, WHICH WILL LOWER AIR POLLUTION EMISSIONS FROM CONVENTIONAL VEHICLES AND HELP REACH CALIFORNIAS GOAL OF ALL NEW CARS SOLD IN THE STATE BEING ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES BY 2035.SPEEDING UP THE CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITIONCALIFORNIA SB 100, ENACTED INTO LAW IN 2018, MANDATES THAT THE STATE OBTAIN 100% OF OUR ELECTRICITY FROM ZERO-CARBON SOURCES BY 2045. THAT REQUIRES US TO PHASE OUT FOSSIL-FUELED GENERATION AND BRING AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF CLEAN ENERGY ONLINE MUCH, MUCH FASTER THAN WE HAVE BEEN.CEERT IS HELPING LEAD THE FIGHT IN THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSIONS (CPUCS) INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLANNING (IRP) AND RESOURCE ADEQUACY (RA) PROCEEDINGS TO ADVANCE MORE RENEWABLE PROCUREMENT AND ENABLE CLEAN RESOURCES TO COMPETE FAIRLY WITH GAS-FIRED POWER.IN 2021, CEERT: ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP PROCESS, BASED AT THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION (CEC), THAT IS WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING SB 100S MANDATE OF ACHIEVING 100% ZERO-CARBON ELECTRICITY FOR THE STATE. MET WITH STATEWIDE COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS TO DISCUSS WAYS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPROVING THE SITING AND PERMITTING OF CLEAN-ENERGY PROJECTS. KEPT URGING THE CPUC AND CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR (CAISO) TO AUTHORIZE LARGE PROCUREMENTS OF HYBRID CLEAN RESOURCES, NOTABLY SOLAR-PLUS-STORAGE. HYBRIDS TOTALING SOME 60,000 MW MAKE UP MOST OF THE UTILITY-SCALE RESOURCES NOW WAITING IN THE STATE INTERCONNECTION QUEUE BUT ARE BEING HELD UP BY THE CPUCS CURRENT RESOURCE ADEQUACY RULES.