California’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative as a Model for State Renewable Resource Development and Transmission Planning

How the process of transitions shapes the politics of decarbonization: Tracing policy feedback effects across phases of the energy transition

“…Energy agencies, with private and public utilities, initiated a proactive joint planning process to identify resources and transmission solutions [72]. This initiative engaged a broad set of stakeholders to balance environmental considerations with renewable development by fostering collaboration [73]. The governor set the goal to reduce permitting time by 50% in defined renewable zones and directed the creation of protected areas in the Mojave Desert (Exec.…”

“…Negotiating contracts under RPS took years and was too expensive for small-scale operators. The early collaborative energy planning initiative was also criticized for focusing on utility-scale generation [73]. Gradually, the procurement mechanisms under RPS evolved into different contractual mechanisms [74].…”