California Enacts Renewables Tracking System

Renewable-energy portfolio standards, which require utilities to ensure targeted percentages of their overall electricity sales come from renewable resources, are becoming the law in many states. California has mandated that 20% of electricity sales in the state meet this standard, and regulators recently launched a system to register and track acceptable resources in the larger Western Interconnection.

The Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS), launched in late June, tracks renewable generation sources to help ensure the credibility of claims made by those facility’s developers. Coverage includes the Western U.S., parts of Canada and a portion of Baja California. Data includes megawatt-hours produced, fuel source, facility location and all state, provincial and voluntary renewable-energy program qualifications.

One WREGIS certificate is issued for each megawatt-hour of renewable energy produced and deposited on the grid. To prevent double counting, each certificate has its own unique serial number. The Western Electricity Coordinating Council administers the new program.

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