California ISO reports 97.6 percent of electricity sourced from renewables

Earlier this month, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) reported it had achieved a new green record for power operations when the percentage of electricity on its grid flowing from renewable sources peaked at 97.6 percent.

The milestone was reached on April 3, breaking a record set just a week prior. Before that, the record had been 94.5 percent, set on April 21, 2021. The grid also set a historical peak for solar usage of 13,628 MW on April 8, 2022, and a wind record of 6,265 MW on March 4, 2022. The ISO said that these figures highlighted the growing amount of renewable energy coming onto the grid as California pivots more and more toward its clean energy goals.

“This new record is testament to the hard work and collaboration of many people, from policymakers to system operators,” Elliot Mainzer, ISO president and CEO, said. “While these all-time highs are for a brief time, they solidly demonstrate the advances being made to reliably achieve California’s clean energy goals.”

Each record was set in spring as renewable energy generation typically peaks in the spring due to a mix of milder temperatures and angling of the sun, which provides extended solar production windows in the western state. More than 15,000 MW of grid-connected solar power capacity and nearly 8,000 MW of wind capacity are available to California.

“When we see renewable energy peaks like this, we are getting to re-imagine what the grid will look like for generations to come,” Ashutosh Bhagwat, chair of the ISO Board of Governors, said. “These moments help crystallize the vision of the modern, efficient and sustainable grid of the future.”

That future is anticipated to include another 600 MW of solar, 200 MW of wind, and 1,300 MW of storage by the beginning of June. Currently, the system includes more than 15,000 MW of solar power capacity, nearly 8,000 MW of wind, and more than 2,700 MW of storage.