On April 12th, 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill confirming the state's 33% by 2020 renewable portfolio standard (RPS) at the dedication of a new solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility for SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, U.S.) and Flextronics International Ltd. (Singapore).

“While reaching a 33 percent renewables portfolio standard will be an important milestone, it is really just a starting point - a floor, not a ceiling,” stated Governor Brown.

“Our state has enormous renewable resource potential. I would like to see us pursue even more far-reaching targets."

RPS goals gain force of law

The RPS policy requires that utilities purchase or generate an increasing amount of their electricity from renewable energy sources. California's RPS targets are among the most aggressive in the nation.

The Office of State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who authored the RPS bill, has stated that it was necessary to make the RPS state law in order to give investors the confidence that they need to invest in the state's renewable energy sector.

The signing of the RPS law three months into California Governor Brown's term is a strong sign for the future of renewable energy policy in the state. During his campaign Governor Brown outlined a plan to commission 20GW of new renewable energy in the state and implemented a feed-in tariff for projects under 20MW.

2011-04-13| Courtesy: SunPower Corporation, Office of California Governor Jerry Brown | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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