11/17/2008 Print Version |
WHEREAS, the
State of California is a world leader in efforts to reduce global warming and
greenhouse gas emissions, increase renewable energy production, promote energy
efficiency, energy conservation, clean air and emission controls, expand the
use of low carbon, alternative fuels and promote and commercialize new
technologies and industries; and
WHEREAS, California has previously led the
nation with an aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), requiring
California's retail sellers of electricity to serve 20 percent of their load
with renewable energy by 2010; and
WHEREAS, in
2003, the Governor called for an acceleration of the RPS, urging that 20
percent of California's electricity come from renewable sources by 2010 rather
than 2017, seven years earlier than previously required, and this accelerated
standard became law in September 2006, when the Governor signed SB 107; and
WHEREAS,
California's high standards and ambitious goals have resulted in California
leading the nation in renewable energy innovation, receiving more investment
funding in clean technology than anywhere else in the United States, and
accounting for 44 percent of all U.S. patents in solar technologies and 37
percent of all U.S. patents in wind technologies; and
WHEREAS, producing electricity from renewable
resources provides multiple and significant benefits to California's
environment and economy, including improving local air quality and reducing
global warming pollution, diversifying energy supply, improving energy
security, enhancing economic development, and creating jobs; and
WHEREAS, California has some of the best
renewable energy resource areas in the world, providing immense potential for
clean, valuable electricity generation in the state, and the development of
these resources must be accelerated; and
WHEREAS, substantially increased development
of renewable electricity sources, energy efficiency and demand response is
needed to meet the greenhouse gas reduction goal of 1990 levels by 2020 and 80
percent below 1990 emissions levels by 2050, making the success and expansion
of renewables a key priority for California's economic and environmental
future; and
WHEREAS, fostering greater and more timely
renewable energy development means California's energy agencies must
establish a more cohesive and integrated statewide strategy, including greater
coordination and streamlining of the siting, permitting, and procurement
processes for renewable generation, improving the manner in which the state
develops its transmission infrastructure, and encouraging technically and
economically feasible distributed renewable energy opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has
approved more than 6,300 MW of renewable generation contracts for
investor-owned utilities, and has identified various challenges that impede their
timely realization, relating to transmission, financing, siting, permitting,
integration, environmental and military objectives, technology development and
commercialization and equipment procurement; and
WHEREAS, the California Energy Commission
(CEC) in its 2007 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) indicated that there
are substantial barriers to generation siting, permitting and transmission that
must be addressed in order to achieve the 2010 and 2020 RPS goals; and
WHEREAS, the Renewable Energy Transmission
Initiative (RETI) is a statewide initiative to help identify the transmission
projects needed to accommodate these renewable energy goals and facilitate
transmission corridor designation and transmission and generation siting and
permitting; and
WHEREAS, RETI will (1) assess
competitive renewable energy zones in California and surrounding regions that
can provide significant electricity to California consumers by 2020; (2)
identify those zones that can be developed in the most timely and cost effective
way, with least environmental impact; and (3) prepare detailed transmission
plans for those zones identified for development; and
WHEREAS, deployment of new renewable energy
technologies across the state will require utilizing new areas of biologically
sensitive land; and
WHEREAS, California is committed to
conserving natural communities at the ecosystem scale through the use of
California's unique Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) tool,
coordinated by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and CEC, which identifies
and provides for the region-wide protection of plants, animals, and their
habitats while allowing for compatible economic activities such as renewable
energy generation; and
WHEREAS, the Western Governor's Association
has initiated the Western Renewable Energy Zone (WREZ) initiative to identify
and expedite cost-effective, environmentally sensitive transmission development
to areas with high-grade, renewable energy resources in order to bring about
the development of 30,000 megawatts of clean and diversified energy across the
West by 2015.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the
State of California, by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution
and statutes of the State of California, do hereby order effective immediately:
1.
That the following Renewable Portfolio Standard target is hereby
established for California: All retail sellers of electricity shall serve 33
percent of their load with renewable energy by 2020. State government
agencies are hereby directed to take all appropriate actions to implement this
target in all regulatory proceedings, including siting, permitting, and
procurement for renewable energy power plants and transmission lines.
2.
The Resources Agency shall lead the joint collaboration between
the CEC and the DFG to expedite the development of RPS eligible renewable
energy resources through the actions outlined in this order.
3.
The Department of Fish and Game shall immediately create a new
internal division, the primary purpose being comprehensive planning and
streamlined compliance services; including for renewable energy projects.
The division shall ensure the timely completion of NCCPs, which embody the
balancing of project assurances with ecosystem protection.
4.
Pursuant to this Order and the MOU signed on November 17, 2008 by
the CEC and DFG formalizing the Renewable Energy Action Team (REAT), the REAT
shall lead completion of items 5 through 12.
5.
Pursuant to the MOU, DFG and CEC shall immediately create a "one-stop"
process for permitting renewable energy generation power plants. Instead
of filing multiple sequential applications, the DFG and CEC shall create a
concurrent application review process, which shall be filed directly at the
state level. To facilitate this process, a special joint streamlining
unit shall be created and shall reduce permit processing times by at least 50%
for projects in renewable energy development areas, as such areas are defined
by the REAT beginning on February 1, 2009.
6.
Pursuant to the MOU signed on November 17, 2008 by the CEC, the
DFG, the United States Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the REAT shall endeavor to include all appropriate federal partners in
the expedited permitting process described in number 5 above.
7.
By December 1, 2008, the REAT shall initiate the Desert Renewable
Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) process for the Mojave and Colorado Desert
regions.
8.
By March 1, 2009, the REAT shall identify and publish top priority
areas in California where other NCCPs or similar plans should be developed
based upon their renewable energy development potential.
9.
By December 31, 2009, the REAT shall develop and publish a Best
Management Practices manual to assist RPS project applicants in designing
projects to emphasize siting considerations and minimize environmental impacts
for RPS desert projects.
10. By
December 31, 2009, the REAT, in conjunction with our federal partners and
stakeholder groups, shall develop a conservation strategy that clearly
identifies and maps areas for RPS project development and areas intended for
long-term natural resource conservation as a foundation for the DRECP.
11. By
December 31, 2010, the REAT, in conjunction with our federal partners and
stakeholder groups, shall complete the draft DRECP and initiate the
environmental review process.
12. By June
1, 2012, the final DRECP shall provide binding, long-term endangered species
permit assurances, facilitate the RPS desert project approval process, and
provide a process for state and federal conservation funding to implement the
DRECP.
13. By
January 1, 2010, the CEC shall provide an estimate of total retail electricity
sales in California in 2020 by utility and shall update this number every two
years through the IEPR.
14. Direct the CEC, and
request the CPUC and California Independent System Operator (ISO), to work with
other RETI stakeholders to complete the following by March 31, 2009: (a)
develop a product that identifies top priority renewable energy zones that can
be developed reliably, cost-effectively and with least environmental impact;
and (b) issue a Renewable Transmission Development Report that identifies
potential routes and interconnection points for new lines. I direct DFG
to participate in the RETI process and the REAT to provide increased technical
support to the RETI stakeholder group. I also request that the CPUC and
the ISO support the RETI stakeholder group as appropriate in order to meet this
deadline.
15. Direct the CEC, and
request the CPUC, to participate in the WREZ initiative in order to increase
availability to all potential renewable energy resources, coordinate research,
planning, and investments with our regional partners, and to complement
RETI. Specifically, I request that the CPUC, in conjunction with the CEC,
ensure that there is information exchange and coordination between the WREZ
initiative and RETI and to facilitate the feasible integration of the resulting
plans from each initiative.
16. In order to
facilitate the timely permitting of renewable energy projects, all state
regulatory agencies shall give priority to renewable energy projects as set
forth in this Executive Order.
17. In conjunction with
its work with DFG to develop the DRECP pursuant to number 7 above and any work
it performs to facilitate the siting and permitting of renewable generation and
transmission projects, the CEC shall coordinate with BLM, CPUC, the California
ISO, and other interested federal, state, and local agencies, work closely with
interested stakeholders, and utilize input from RETI.
This Order is not intended to create, and
does not create, any right or benefit, whether substantive or procedural, enforceable
at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, entities,
officers, employees, agents or any other person.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as
hereafter possible, this Order be filed with the Office of the Secretary of
State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have here unto set my
hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this
the 17th day of November 2008.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California
ATTEST:
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State
