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Legislators push for increase of geothermal in portfolio standards in California

Legislators push for increase of geothermal in portfolio standards in California California State Capitol, Sacramento (source: flickr/ David Fulmer, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas 19 May 2014

Senate Bill 1139 would require that energy retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities have more geothermal energy in their renewable energy portfolios.

In the US, two Democrat California State Senators, Ben Hueso and V. Manuel Pérez are trying to rally support for legislation that would boost geothermal energy production. The proposed bill would be discussed this next Friday in the Senate Floor in California.

The bill itself, SB 1139 would require that energy retail sellers and local publicly owned electric utilities have more geothermal energy in their renewable energy portfolios. Bearing this in mind by 2024, utilities would need to procure 500 megawatts of electricity from base-load geothermal power plants.

The news source details that “Senator Hueso and I have teamed up on this bill recognizing that the development of geothermal resources in the Salton Sea basin supports local economic development and job creation, while helping the state meet its renewable energy goals and creating a potential revenue sources for Salton Sea restoration,” Pérez said in a statement.

Pérez and Hueso are both Democrats whose legislative districts include parts of the Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea.

SB 1139 passed the Senate’s Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on a 6-2 vote in April.

“With the right plan in place, geothermal power can be a key to achieving an expanded post-33 percent renewable power portfolio at the lowest total cost,” Hueso said in a statement.

Source: The Desert Sun Website