The 20‐county Northern California area (Upstate California) is a significant producer of electricity from renewable resources. If it were a separate utility service area, subject to the state Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), it would have already exceeded the requirements imposed by the 20 percent 2010 standard and the stricter, 33 percent 2020 standard imposed on November 17, 2008 by Executive Order S‐14‐08. As of 2006 the area generated an amount of electricity from renewable resources equivalent to 43 percent of area consumption.
With 43 percent of area electricity demand offset with generation from renewables, Upstate California far exceeds the 11.4 percent achieved for PG&E’s service area as a whole. However, current area generation from renewables is less than 25 percent of undeveloped potential. Development of 100 percent of Upstate California’s resources over the next 20 years would, even accounting for demand growth, lead to renewable electricity generation equal to 92 percent of area electricity demand. An aggressive program of renewable resource utilization would not only assist in meeting the statewide Renewables Portfolio Standard, but would also be a major driver of economic development in the north state.

Attachment	Size
renewable_electricity_production_study.pdf	1.33 MB