Sacramento Municipal Utility District: Strategy for 37% Renewable Energy by 2020
- Key words
- Renewable Energy; Renewables Portfolio Standard; Biomass; Geothermal; Solar; Small Hydro
- Location
- Sacramento, California
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 2009
- Session
- Renewable energy; Energy policy; Power grids; Energy markets
- Language
- English
Abstract
In 2008, the Governor of California announced a state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goal of 33% by 2020. Legislation to this affect is anticipated to be passed in 2009. In December 2008, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) Board of Directors accelerated a 23 percent renewable energy goal to 2010 and established a renewable energy supply goal of 37% by 2020 (33% RPS and 4% Greenergy). Based on current projections, SMUD will meet its 2010 goal of supplying 23 percent of SMUD’s retail sales with renewable energy. Currently, SMUD needs to fill a projected gap of approximately 2400 GWh. There are many pathways to achieving the 2020 target of 37 percent renewable supply. This paper presents the potential, issues and challenges to fill the gap by using local renewable energy resources and more distant renewable energy resources, but connectable to the SMUD balancing authority.
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