Twenty years ago, when the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) program was just beginning, electricity from renewable resources made up a small portion of the electricity consumed by Californians. In 2021, over 37 percent of California’s retail electricity sales is served by RPS-certified renewables. Together with electricity generated from large hydroelectric and nuclear plants, nearly 60 percent of California’s retail electricity sales are coming from clean electricity. California is well on its way to achieving some of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the nation. Senate Bill 100 (2018) set a renewable goal of 60 percent renewables by 2030 and a longer-term goal of serving 100 percent of California’s retail sales and state loads with RPS-certified renewable and zero carbon energy by 2045. The recently signed Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022 (SB 1020), defined new interim California retail sales and state load goals of 90% by 2035 and 95% for 2040.
