California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program

California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) requires utilities to source 50 percent of retail electricity from renewables by 2030. As of 2015, the program has led to over 500 projects generating nearly 50,000 gigawatt-hours annually, accounting for roughly 25 percent of the state's electricity. The policy has driven significant investments in solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and biogas, while supporting over 79,000 jobs in the wind and solar sectors. The document highlights that the RPS has helped reduce electricity sector emissions by 14 percent between 2003 and 2013 and argues for the establishment of new policy signals to guide investments beyond 2030.

• The Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a technology-neutral, market-based policy that mandates utilities to obtain 50 percent of their retail electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2030.
• As of 2015, California has more than 500 renewable energy projects producing nearly 50,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, which represents approximately 25 percent of the state's total electricity generation.
• The RPS has acted as an economic catalyst, with the wind and solar industries employing over 79,000 people and the state attracting more than $2 billion in clean energy venture capital in 2015.
• The program has contributed to significant environmental improvements, including a 14 percent decline in electricity sector emissions between 2003 and 2013.
• Renewable energy projects under the RPS are frequently located in economically distressed areas; nearly three-quarters of projects built in the last decade are in counties with unemployment rates of 6 percent or higher.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/california-renewables-portfolio-standard-program.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/california-renewables-portfolio-standard-program.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program |date=July 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/california-renewables-portfolio-standard-program.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016californias, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/07/california-renewables-portfolio-standard-program.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }