California upped its renewable energy target last week, boosting it to 33% by 2020.
The 33 percent renewable electricity standard was unanimously voted in by the California Air Resources Board, a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency.
The milestones for renewable energy in the state are: 20 percent for 2012 – 2014; 24 percent for 2015 – 2017; 28 percent for 2018 – 2019 and 33 percent for 2020. The new regulations will apply to all companies that deliver electricity.
According to Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols, “The Renewable Electricity Standard means cleaner energy for California’s households and businesses. It will help clean our air and bring new solar and wind energy facilities to California with thousands of jobs in construction, operation and spin off industries.”
ARB says its oversight will see that the renewable standard delivers real and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia’s Renewable Energy Target is currently pegged at 20% of electricity to be sourced via renewable means by 2020.
In other California related news, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week welcomed the California Energy Commission (CEC) vote to approve the construction of BrightSource Energy’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, which will generate 370 megawatts of electricity; enough to power 140,000 homes, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 400,000 tons annually and create jobs in the Mojave Desert.
Earlier this month, the California Energy Commission also approved the Blythe Solar Power Project, four 250 MW solar farms that will deliver 1,000 MW of generating capacity, enough to power in excess of 300,000 homes annually.
