“Collectively, these bills will grow the behind-the-meter and utility-scale energy storage markets, create new clean energy jobs, reduce distributed energy resource interconnection challenges, and ensure that bulk energy storage is part of California’s renewable energy future,” the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA) said in a statement.
Growing the ability to store energy will help California meet its 50% renewable mandate by 2030.
Bill AB 2868 requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to direct the state’s three investor-owned utilities – Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) – to speed up deployment of distributed energy storage by filing applications for new programs and investments of up to 500MW.
This is in addition to the 1.325GW storage procurement goal by 2020 that California set in 2013, the first such mandate in any state.
CESA said the other three laws would accomplish the following goals:
AB 33 – This directs the CPUC and California Energy Commission to evaluate and analyze the potential for all types of long-duration bulk energy storage, such as pumped hydro, to help integrate renewable generation into the electric grid.
AB 1637 – This provides an additional $249m in funding for the Self Generation Incentive Program. The move sends a clear market signal to industry stakeholders that behind-the-meter energy storage will play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and support the next generation grid.
AB 2861 – This authorizes the CPUC to create an objective, expedited dispute-resolution process for distributed, behind-the-meter energy resources attempting to establish an interconnection to an IOU’s electricity distribution network. Such a resolution process will accelerate and reduce certain interconnection costs.
