Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Program

LADWP continues working aggressively to expand Los Angeles' supply of renewable resources, including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and small hydroelectric power, along with other clean energy solutions such as energy storage, energy efficiency, demand response programs and distributed energy resources.

The benefits of increasing our renewable power supply include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping to eliminate the need for traditional fossil fuel power resources, improving air quality, providing a sustainable energy resource, and reducing dependence on foreign sources of fuel.  

Progress

LADWP and City of Los Angeles leaders have been at the forefront of California utilities in adopting aggressive clean energy goals. LADWP was among the first electric utilities to achieve the first major state legislated target of 20% renewables by 2010. LADWP is on track to exceed the next state legislated milestone of 33 percent by 2020.

As of calendar year 2018, LADWP achieved 32% renewables, including:

Wind 11%
Solar 13%
Geothermal 7%
Eligible Hydroelectric Power 2%

Policy and Legislation

In the spring of 2019, Mayor Eric Garcetti released L.A.’s Green New Deal, an update of the Sustainable City pLAn that established aggressive new goals for our clean energy future. The goals include supplying 55% of our power retail sales from renewable energy resources by 2025, 80% by 2036, and 100% by 2045, as well as achieve a carbon neutral power system by 2050.

In September 2018, the Governor signed into law the California Clean Energy Act (SB 100), which accelerated the state RPS to 60 percent by 2030. The bill also requires that 100 percent of all retail sales of electricity come from eligible renewable energy and zero-carbon resources by 2045.

RPS Strategy

As LADWP expands its renewable resource portfolio, it is important that it do so in a cost-effective manner to minimize the impact on ratepayers. Some of the key considerations in selecting these resources include:

  • Costs and operational impact of integrating renewables
  • Technologies that deliver more energy during peak hours
  • Preference for local projects
  • Locating projects near existing transmission and other LADWP assets such as land and power infrastructure
  • Diversification of resources

DER Strategy

As we increase renewable energy resources to meet local and state goals, we are also expanding our distributed energy resource (DER) portfolio, which includes small-scale energy generation, such as rooftop solar, as well as with energy storage, energy efficiency and demand response programs. We are working to grow the DER portfolio in a cost-effective manner to minimize the impact on customers and through collaboration with the private sector. This strategy includes engaging with property owners and maximizing capacity in preferred DER zones.

Toward this end, we are currently developing a request for proposals (RFP) slated for public advertisement in September 2020. To learn more, view the DER RFP Presentation from February 27, 2020.