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California’s 2012 Renewable Portfolio Standard: How will Arizona and the Southwest be affected?

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

(download full brief)

The essentials

UPDATE: CA’s RPS standards have changed. For an updated version of this brief, please see California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard: How will Arizona and the Southwest be affected? (Part II).

  • Many states throughout the West (including Arizona) export power to California, where energy demand is very high.
  • California recently set a 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) — one of the most aggressive standards in the country.
  • Because of California’s large energy demand, it could have substantial effect on renewable energy development across the Western U.S. electric grid.
  • California’s RPS law sets quotas for (1) in-state (or designated equivalent by the CA balancing authority) renewable resources, and (2) out-of-state resources.  These limits will affect the amount of renewable energy Arizona and other states can export to California.