CPUC votes to reduce power sector emissions to 25 MMT by 2035

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted today to approve its latest Preferred System Plan (PSP), setting a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 25 million metric tons by 2035 — a 46% reduction from current levels, and the equivalent to taking 4.6 million gasoline-powered cars off the road. This goal is meant to smooth the way to 100% renewable electricity by 2045 promised by SB 100.

The Regenerate California Campaign, a partnership of the California Environmental Justice Alliance and Sierra Club, also applauds the PSP for instructing the California Independent System Operator to model for high gas retirement sensitivity, with an emphasis on retiring the dirtiest plants located in or near the most polluted communities. The CPUC also sided with the Regenerate Coalition by instructing all load-serving entities to more closely scrutinize how their long term plans will lead to reduced emissions in disadvantaged communities.

While Regenerate largely praises the vote, the coalition also cautioned that the PSP doesn't go as far as mandating zero electric sector emissions by 2045 as mandated by SB 100. The plan also delays the busbar mapping analysis of the grid, which environmentalists argue will delay the process of retiring and replacing gas plants in environmental justice communities.

In response, members of the Regenerate California Campaign issued the following statements:

Ari Eisenstadt, Energy Justice Manager with California Environmental Justice Alliance, said: 

“We are grateful for the ways that the Commission has thoughtfully moved towards gas-fired electricity retirement, including by setting an interim emissions target for 2035. However, the Commission needs to go further to ensure that environmental justice communities benefit first and most directly from these changes. We hope that future IRP work will prioritize modeling the granular public health and distributed clean energy impacts of utility system plans, and will direct the state towards a gas-free future for frontline residents.”

Katherine Ramsey, Senior Attorney with the Sierra Club, said:

“The Commission made it clear today that they’re thinking seriously about how to take California’s energy transition in the right direction. Setting an interim emission reduction benchmark will help ensure we don’t fall behind our ambitious clean energy goals. Additionally, modeling gas plant retirements will give us the roadmap we need to scale up renewables equitably and responsibly. With more votes like this, an equitable clean energy future seems within reach.”

Ashley Hernandez, Wilmington Youth Organizer with CBE, said:

“Overwhelming evidence has taught us this: dependability on gas plants is killing us. Community stories, research, and the impacts of the climate crisis all point to the same conclusion - California’s energy future needs to be fossil-fuel free. Today’s vote from the CPUC is an encouraging step in the right direction, and shows that a clean energy future is closer than ever. The frontline residents in Wilmington, CA who are surrounded by power plants, refineries, and oil drilling need relief. Most importantly Wilmington needs real solutions that allow our energy to transition into healthier alternatives in a near future. Our community members worked hard on this advocacy, and they deserve to benefit from it directly and as soon as possible.”

Shane Ysais, Communications Coordinator with CCAEJ, said:

"Every moment dirty utility companies operate, it compounds the impacts on our environmental justice (EJ) communities. It's heartening to witness the commission's proactive approach in addressing these concerns. By requiring utility companies to articulate their impacts on EJ communities and seek avenues to reduce climate emissions within these areas, significant strides are being made. We stand in solidarity with  frontline communities who endure the closest proximity to pollution, often bearing the burden to sustain all our energy needs."

Sofi Magallon, Policy Advocate with CAUSE, said:

“Frontline communities like my hometown of Oxnard, a majority Latino community burdened with polluting power plants, have been unfairly delegated as sacrificial zones for California's energy demands. These gas plants have been systematically placed in BIPOC neighborhoods, often low-income, while their electricity caters primarily to affluent, predominantly white areas. Given the existing socioeconomic challenges our communities of color face, the additional health impacts from air pollutants exacerbate our burdens. With this crucial decision, we implore the CPUC to prioritize the voices of frontline communities and promptly shut down these toxic plants threatening the health and well-being of our families. Our communities demand and deserve clean-energy solutions, not endless extensions of power plants.”