UC Riverside Study to Evaluate Best Ways to Achieve California’s Renewable Energy Targets

Study is funded by a $146,000 grant from Southern California Gas Co.By Richard Chang, UCR Today.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — What are the best ways to achieve California’s renewable energy targets?

That’s the answer Arun Raju, director of the Center for Renewable Natural Gas at UC Riverside, is searching for. Raju recently received a $146,000 grant from Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) to examine the proposed 100 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and explore options that can help achieve emission reduction goals more efficiently and at lower costs.

State officials have approved requirements for the power grid to consist of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. However, discussions also are underway in Sacramento to further tighten those requirements to 50 percent as early as 2025 and 100 percent by 2045.

“California has some of the most ambitious renewable energy targets in the world,” Raju said. “The good news is that significant progress has been made. But the enhanced targets – if enacted – will require substantial efforts over the next two decades.”

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