CPUC

CA regulators say no to PG&E’s request to invest in solar tech

Two months ago we asked whether utilities should invest in solar manufacturing because Pacific Gas & Electric was proposing to do just that. The answer from California regulators, who were divided over the issue, was “no” as they voted 3-2 to deny the request on Thursday.

Cali’s Solar Consumers At Risk of Losing Protection

The popular California Solar Initiative (CSI) program has been so popular that it’s set to run out of money sooner than expected. What will happen if the state doesn’t authorize more money for the program? Consumers will lose some important protection from unscrupulous solar service providers.

5 Challenges for California Solar

California has led the country in solar policy and solar rooftop installations, but keeping its lead won’t be easy. The president of California Public Utilities Commission, Michael Peevey, laid out some of the challenges to promote renewable energy generation by homes, businesses, schools and government agencies.

Cali Senate Approves Tougher Clean Power Mandate

California lawmakers have passed a bill to require all public and private utilities to get 33 percent of their electricity supplies from renewable sources by 2020. If becomes law, the legislation would make the state home to the toughest renewable energy mandate in the country.

Expensive Bets: Clean Power Contracts in Cali

Californians may see a big jump in their energy bills due to the fact that the state utilities’ clean power projects under contract will be billions of dollars more expensive than what the utilities would otherwise pay for power from natural gas plants.

Does Ocean Power Have Electrifying Effects on Fish?

A group of federal researchers have dived into a project to explore animal magnetism, except it’s not what you might think — it looks into the potential effects of electromagnetic fields on marine wildlife, and could become a key reference for any environmental impact review.

Cali Considers New Clean Power Feed-In Tariffs

California state regulators have spent the last few years trying to revise a program that was meant to boost small-scale renewable energy generation but wasn’t popular because it wasn’t lucrative enough to attract many takers. Now, a new proposal has emerged.