California's Vision for Reaching Zero-Carbon Emissions
<div>In "The 100 Percent Clean Energy Act of 2018" the California legislature set a target of 100\% of California's electricity generated from renewable and zero-carbon sources by 2045. </div><div>The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) and other state entities now have the task of planning to meet that target. </div><div>The California Energy Commission (CEC) has sponsored multiple studies and sought public input on the pathways that they are exploring. </div><div>A key result of that planning process is a Reference System Portfolio (RSP) based on existing and planned electricity generating capabilities, and modeled grid build out to meet the planned targets by 2045 at the lowest cost. </div><div>Although this RSP has been discussed by the CEC in a public forum, to our knowledge, it has not been presented to the photovoltaic community.</div><div>Here we document the CEC’s current RSP, with emphasis on understanding their expectations for build out of solar as well as the associated need for storage and curtailment.</div>