With the nation’s most ambitious renewable energy program, California’s three major private-sector utilities reported progress but still fell short of the state’s 20% 2010 goal, according to a report from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Each utility made progress from their positions a year earlier. Southern California Edison Co. reported 19.4% of their power coming from renewable sources, compared to 17.4% at the end of 2009; Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported 17.7% compared with 14.4% in 2009; and San Diego Gas and Electric Co. reported 11.9% compared with 10.5% in 2009. Collectively the utilities averaged 18% of their power coming from renewable sources in 2010, compared with 15% a year earlier. Under the state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) program, the CPUC has established flexible compliance rules that allow the utilities to bank excess renewable energy and defer deficits in any year for up to three years when using what the regulators call an “allowance justification.” The CPUC estimates that aggregate utility RPS total will reach 20% before the end of 2012.

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