Existing law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Independent System Operator, and the State Air Resources Board, on or before December 31, 2023, to submit to the Legislature an assessment of the firm zero-carbon resources that support a clean, reliable, and resilient electrical grid in the state and will achieve the policy of the state that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100% of all retail sales of electricity to the state’s end-use customers and 100% of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2045, as specified.

This bill would require the PUC, working with the Energy Commission, on or before June 30, 2027, to prepare and submit to the Legislature a statewide assessment of the role and necessity of clean, firm resources in meeting the state’s clean energy and reliability objectives, potential technologies and strategies for integrating clean, firm resources into the state’s energy mix, recommendations on procurement, policy, and planning actions to support clean, firm resources, and consideration of current and projected renewable and clean, firm generation capacity, reliability requirements under varying system conditions, and the cost and emission implications of clean, firm resources.