CPUC Approves Renewables Plan Drafts, Considers Curtailment Studies

California Energy Markets

Utility regulators this week approved renewables procurement plan drafts for more than 40 retail electricity sellers across the state, but said additional curtailment studies might be required as more clean energy flows onto the grid.

Renewables serve an increasing percentage of load on the state’s grid, “highlighting the need for retail sellers to demonstrate how their procurement planning addresses instances of overgeneration,” the California Public Utilities Commission said in a decision approved unanimously on Jan. 13. Renewables portfolio standard plans that are submitted with no or limited curtailment assessment are deficient and noncompliant with previous CPUC orders, the commission said.

However, community choice aggregator representatives in comments to the CPUC said the commission’s deadline to submit final RPS plans for 2021—i.e., 30 days after the CPUC approves draft plans—does not provide enough time to run new analyses. The CCAs said that such a curtailment analysis is not directly related to or required by any recent commission decisions or any new legislation. Given the complex nature of such an analysis, it might not be possible to provide details by the deadline, the CCAs said.

Read more here: CPUC Approves Renewables Plan Drafts, Considers Curtailment Studies | Regulation Status | newsdata.com