The Thermal Efficiency of Natural Gas-Fired Generation: 2019 Update staff paper provides a brief overview of the general trends in power generation in California from 2001 through 2018. The paper details the changes in the type of power plants used over the past 18 years to meet load and documents the total annual natural gas usage for thermal power generation. By providing an accurate assessment of historical natural gas-usage, the paper supports the state policy that eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources supply 100 percent of retail sales of electricity to California end-use customers and 100 percent of electricity procured to serve all state agencies by December 31, 2045. Topics covered in the paper include data collection, power plant categories, annual generation trends, and a comparison of hourly peak loads on the hottest days in each of the past two years.
