Renewable energy resources: Salton Sea.

The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. The act requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2003, and by November 1 of every odd year thereafter, to adopt an integrated energy policy report that includes an overview of major energy trends and issues facing the state, an assessment and forecast of system reliability, and the need for resource additions, efficiency, and conservation. The act requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, beginning November 1, 2004, and by November 1 of each even year thereafter, to prepare an energy policy review to update the analyses from the integrated energy policy report or to raise energy issues that have emerged since the release of the integrated energy policy report. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program, also known as the RPS program, requires a retail seller of electricity, as defined, and local publicly owned electric utilities to purchase specified minimum quantities of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources, as defined, for specified compliance periods, sufficient to ensure that the procurement of electricity products from eligible renewable energy resources achieves 25% of retail sales by December 31, 2016, and 33% of retail sales by December 31, 2020, and in all subsequent years. This bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, in consultation with the Public Utilities Commission and the Independent System Operator, to convene a stakeholders group to identify impediments and recommended steps that should be taken to properly maintain, develop, integrate, and transmit electricity generated by eligible renewable energy resources located in and around the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area and the Geysers Geothermal Field. The bill would require the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to include its evaluations and recommendations in the next integrated energy policy report or energy policy review update.