Renewables Portfolio Standard Eligibility, First Edition

On April 21, 2004, the California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) adopted this Renewable Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook (Guidebook), pursuant to Senate Bill 1038 (Sher) Chapter 515, Statutes of 2002, Senate Bill 1078 (Sher) Chapter 516, Statutes of 2002, Senate Bill 67 (Bowen), Chapter 731, Statutes of 2003, and Senate Bill 183 (Sher)Chapter 666, Statutes of 2003. The pertinent provisions of these laws are codified in Public Utilities Code Sections 381 and 399.11 through 399.16, and Public Resources Code (PRC) Sections 25740 through 25751.1

This Guidebook describes the requirements and process for certifying eligible renewable energy resources for California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) and supplemental energy payments (SEP). This Guidebook also describes how the Energy Commission will track and verify compliance with the RPS using an interim generation tracking process.
This Guidebook establishes efficient and effective processes to encourage participation in California’s RPS and assure program credibility to benefit stakeholders, regulators, and consumers. Although this Guidebook addresses the Energy Commission’s role in implementing the RPS, the Energy Commission recognizes that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) also has a key RPS implementation role.