The California Energy Commission has adopted the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s integrated resource plan, the California public power utility reported on Jan. 22.
SMUD’s IRP was adopted by its Board of Directors in October 2018. The plan meets or exceeds state carbon reduction goals by committing to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Guided by the IRP, SMUD will fully offset its carbon emissions by 2040, equal to net zero carbon emissions, five years ahead of the state mandate, SMUD said.
SMUD said the plan relies on a combination of measures and calls for significant investment in electrification of cars and buildings; reducing energy consumption through energy efficiency and demand response; and, developing additional zero-emission generation resources and energy storage. The plan maximizes local air quality benefits with a priority to reduce carbon emissions in disadvantaged communities, the utility noted.
Currently, on average, more than 50 percent of SMUD’s power mix is carbon free, and SMUD said it will continue to pursue expanding its diversified renewable portfolio to meet or exceed state mandates for renewable energy and carbon reductions.
With a focus on local renewables, the plan includes the following goals by 2040:
Nearly 2,900 megawatts (MW) of new carbon-free resources including:
- 670 MW of wind
- 1,500 MW of utility-scale solar, of which, nearly 300 MW will be built in the next 3 years
- 180 MW of geothermal
- 560 MW of utility-scale energy storage
An aggressive strategy to expand demand-side resources including:
- Nearly 600 MW of installed rooftop solar
- The equivalent of 900,000 local electric vehicles and 400,000 all-electric homes
- Nearly 200 MW of demand response programs
- Over 200 MW of customer-installed batteries
The IRP is available here.
