The Clean Energy Race

The report analyzes how California's 10 largest publicly owned utilities (POUs) met the 2010 RPS goal of 20 percent renewables. While collective RPS-eligible investments rose from 4.1 percent in 2003 to 18.8 percent in 2010, the quality of these investments varied. The authors emphasize that long-term contracts for new facilities are the most effective way to drive new clean energy development and stabilize rates. The report categorizes POUs into three groups: those 'sprinting ahead' (e.g., Silicon Valley Power), those 'on the right track' (e.g., LADWP), and those with a 'false start' (e.g., Imperial Irrigation District). It concludes with recommendations for the California Energy Commission (CEC) and POUs to prioritize long-term investments and improve reporting to meet the 33 percent RPS by 2020.

• California's 10 largest publicly owned utilities (POUs) collectively increased their RPS-eligible investments from 4.1 percent of retail electricity sales in 2003 to 18.8 percent in 2010.
• Despite progress in renewables, the 10 largest POUs still relied on fossil fuels for nearly two-thirds of their electricity sales in 2010, with coal accounting for 31 percent and natural gas for 34 percent.
• In 2010, 43 percent of the RPS-eligible electricity for the 10 largest POUs came from in-state sources, with small hydropower (45 percent), wind (24 percent), and geothermal (21 percent) being the primary contributors.
• Long-term investments (contracts of 10 years or more) are identified as the most effective method for promoting new clean energy resources and stabilizing electricity prices for ratepayers.
• New renewables under new long-term contracts or utility-owned facilities accounted for 43 percent of the POUs' RPS investments in 2010, totaling over 4,000 gigawatt-hours.
• The 10 largest POUs sourced a larger share of electricity from new facilities under new long-term contracts than the three largest investor-owned utilities (IOUs), despite the IOUs delivering three times as much total renewable electricity.
• Four of the 10 analyzed POUs met the 20 percent RPS goal in 2010: Silicon Valley Power, Turlock Irrigation District, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).
• Several POUs, including Anaheim, Riverside, Burbank, and Imperial Irrigation District, failed to meet the 20 percent target due to high contract failure rates caused by financing and transmission challenges.

APA

Wisland, L., & Haya, B. (2012). The Clean Energy Race. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Clean-Energy-Race-Full-Report.pdf

Chicago

Wisland, Laura, and Barbara Haya. The Clean Energy Race. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2012. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Clean-Energy-Race-Full-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wisland |first1=Laura |last2=Haya |first2=Barbara |title=The Clean Energy Race |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=July 2012 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Clean-Energy-Race-Full-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wisland2012clean, author = {Wisland, Laura and Haya, Barbara}, title = {{The Clean Energy Race}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/The-Clean-Energy-Race-Full-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }