The California Energy Commission recently approved two reports that track the state’s path to a clean energy future.
At the meeting, the Energy Commission also funded the continued operation and maintenance of 16 hydrogen refueling stations, located strategically throughout California.
The first report is the Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), which assesses and updates major energy trends and issues facing the state’s electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel sectors. The report provides policy recommendations to conserve resources and protect the environment while maintaining energy reliability.
The IEPR release comes as California is taking ambitious steps to lower its greenhouse gas emissions. The report suggests that a downward trend in greenhouse gas emissions must be initiated in the next three years to avoid extreme climate change impacts. It also suggests that the state’s electric grid must evolve to support a low-carbon future that integrates solar and wind energy.
The Energy Commission also approved the California Energy Demand Forecast for 2018-2030. This report presents baseline forecasts of natural gas and electricity consumption and of peak demand for California and utility planning areas. The report includes estimates of additional achievable energy efficiency savings and photovoltaic adoption, and provides options for managed electricity forecasts for resource planning.
The forecasts are used in a number of ways, including in planning proceedings for the California Independent System Operator’s transmission plans and the California Public Utilities Commission for integrated resource and distributed resource planning.
More details on actions taken by the Energy Commission are available in the business meeting agenda.
Filed Under: News, Policy, Projects
