Governor Brown signed SB 100 which tasks California to achieve 100% clean energy (or “zero carbon”), specifically requiring a 60% renewable electricity standard.
Importantly, and to help understand what that other 40% “zero carbon” energy may actually be, the University of California at Riverside just released a study showing that a focus only on renewable electricity was not sufficient to cost effectively achieve the GHG reductions required under California’s existing climate regulations.
The UC Riverside study shows that “continued replacement of fossil energy sources with carbon neutral sources in all major sectors must occur to achieve California’s GHG reduction targets”. UCR study further states that “large scale renewable gas production would address emissions from sources that are unlikely to be mitigated in the near term through other measures.”
The UCR study concludes that “increasing percentages of renewable gas be injected into the natural gas pipeline infrastructure to meet specific renewable percentage targets”, and further recommends that California “adopt an RGS (renewable gas standard) with gradual increased percentage thresholds…”
With the adoption of SB 100, our new Clean Energy mandate, it’s time for California to focus on renewable gas production, not just on electricity. Renewable gas can help us decarbonize our energy sector, while ensuring reliable, affordable, and increasingly renewable energy that customers can choose.
See Study Links: