Pushing out more natural gas-fired electric generation, California regulators last Thursday ordered 11,500 MW of carbon-free power to replace upcoming retirements of several old gas-fired generators and the state’s last nuclear plant.

Calling its action historic, the five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) called for the added renewables, batteries and efficiency measures to come online in the 2023 to 2026 period when the nuke and gas plants are slated to be phased out. This is causing the state to recalibrate its projections for future power sources over the next 10 years, according to the California Energy Commission (CEC).

The decision “facilitates the integration of a high amount of renewables required to meet the state’s clean energy goals and ensure...