California CCAs Secure Almost 14 GW in Contracts with New-Build Clean Energy Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2023
Contact: Leora Broydo Vestel
(415) 999-4757 | leora@cal-cca.org
California CCAs Secure Almost 14 GW in Contracts with New-Build Clean Energy Resources
Community choice energy providers continue essential progress toward creating a cleaner, more reliable grid
Concord, Calif. – The California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) announced today that Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) in the state have signed long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) for almost 14,000 megawatts (MW)—13,977 MW to be precise—with new-build clean energy resources, adding another 2,700 MW in just the last year. CCAs are procuring energy resources for over 14 million customers in California, about one-third of the state’s population.
“As CCAs grow, so does their commitment to climate action and advancing the robust mix of renewables and energy storage technologies California needs to transition to a carbon-free electricity supply while making the grid more reliable and creating new jobs,” said CalCCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Vaughan. “The diversity of CCA new-build energy resources and pace of procurement is remarkable.”
CCA PPAs equate to:
- Almost 14 GW of new solar, wind, energy storage, geothermal, and demand response resources
- Projects totaling more than 5,300 MW that are already operational and serving CCA customers
- More than $25 billion committed by CCAs to build and operate clean energy resources
- Support for more than 29,000 construction jobs
Pictured: California geothermal, solar, energy storage, and wind projects that were built to serve CCA customers.
Each November for the last six years, CalCCA has reported on the progress California’s not-for-profit community choice energy providers are making in securing new-build clean energy resources through long-term PPAs. The latest annual tally of CCA PPAs and map of project locations is available here.
This year’s tally reveals CCAs have collectively signed 302 long-term PPAs for a combined 13,977 MW of new-build clean energy resources (see totals for each technology type below). The contracts encompass more than 8,900 MW in renewable energy PPAs and upwards of 5,000 MW in energy storage contracts—an increase of almost 1,700 MW in energy storage compared to a year ago.
Hybridized storage is the amount of total energy storage that is paired with solar. Hybridized solar is the amount of total solar that is paired with energy storage.
CCAs are advancing both standalone and hybrid energy storage resources with a range of discharge capabilities and technologies, including lithium-ion battery, vanadium redox flow battery, and compressed air energy storage. They have collectively procured 468 MW of long-duration storage with an eight-hour discharge capability. The long-duration storage will aid in meeting California’s 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets.
The terms for the CCA PPAs range from 10 to 25 years, or 16 years on average across all contracts. The clean energy resources are helping the CCAs meet their renewables portfolio standard (RPS) and long-term contracting requirements under SB 350, as well as local mandates set by CCA boards. The graphic below shows the capacity and types of energy resources procured by CCAs and their online years.
CCA clean energy projects are located in 30 California counties, from Humboldt County in the north to San Diego County in the south, as well as in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. A map of project locations can be found here.
CCAs’ procurement has increased to keep pace with California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements through 2024, even exceeding the 2024 forecasted target, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). CCAs inked the majority of new RPS contracts in 2022, compared to investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and energy service providers (ESPs), resulting in a collective RPS percentage of 55%.
CCAs collectively serve about 36% of the load in the territories of the state’s three main investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison). CalCCA’s new interactive map of CCA service areas can be found here.
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About CalCCA
Launched in 2016, the California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) represents California’s community choice electricity providers before the state Legislature and at regulatory agencies, advocating for a level playing field and opposing policies that unfairly discriminate against CCAs and their customers. There are 25 operational CCA programs in California serving more than 14 million customers—about one-third of the state’s population—in 200+ cities and counties throughout the state. For more information about CalCCA, visit www.cal-cca.org.
