As renewable power increases its market share, energy storage assumes a larger role. Recognizing the importance of government benchmarks, California lawmakers have taken steps to raise the state’s energy-storage standard.


In early September, state legislators passed four bills intended to increase the amount of storage used in California. 


Assembly Bill 33 directs the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to include large-scale pumped hydro storage projects in its evaluations of potential storage technologies. The law responds to controversy triggered by the CPUC when it excluded large-scale pumped hydro from consideration because the sheer size of these kinds of projects would dwarf and exclude other, smaller storage technologies. 


Assembly Bill 2868 would allow utilities to develop an additional 500 megawatts of storage capacity on top of the state’s existing storage capacity mandate, to be “divided equally among the state’s three largest electrical corporations.”


Assembly Bill 1637 aims to double the capacity of the so-called “Self-Generation Incentive Program.” Currently, it provides $83 million per year through 2019 for behind-the-meter generation technologies, including wind, fuel cells and energy storage.


Assembly Bill 2861 directs the CPUC to establish a resolution process for interconnection disputes—setting a goal of resolving disputes within 60 days—and would require it to appoint a “qualified electrical systems engineer with substantial interconnection expertise to advise the director of the energy division and to provide adequate commission staff to assist in resolving interconnection disputes.”


All four bills are awaiting the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown. On Sept. 8, Brown signed SB 32, which requires the state to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The previous goal had been set to only reach 1990 levels by 2020.