California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1006 into law, requiring utilities to evaluate Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) at least every two years in transmission planning. 

“SB1006 will unlock the cheapest generation for Californians and help the grid adapt to climate change,” said Julia Selker, executive director of the WATT Coalition. “WATT applauds Governor Newsom for signing this bill to ensure that Californians get the full value out of grid investments and that utilities are using the most cost-effective tools to manage the energy transition.” 

GETs were cited by an RMI study as potentially capable of saving project developers collectively hundreds of millions of dollars in interconnection costs compared to default network upgrades, while the project-level savings “could be the difference” that allows a developer to build a project instead of dropping out of the queue. The study notes that GETs can also be installed more quickly than other network upgrades. 

According to the Watt Coalition, GETs offer California’s grid seven distinct cost-saving, decarbonization and safety benefits: 

  • Increase transmission capacity.
  • Reduce transmission system congestion.
  • Reduce curtailment of renewable and zero-carbon resources.
  • Increase reliability.
  • Reduce the risk of igniting wildfire.
  • Increase capacity to connect new renewable energy and zero-carbon resources.
  • Increase flexibility to reduce risks surrounding technology and permitting uncertainties and improve optionality for load-serving entities. 

In a letter encouraging the governor to sign the bill, Julia Selker stated that California could lead the country in adopting these technologies, which could address curtailment of renewables on California’s grid. She noted that CAISO reported in April that 12.7% of all wind and solar production was curtailed. 

An additional benefit that GETs could help move projects faster through the interconnection queue. 

“SB 1006 ensures that utilities will maximize the value of the existing and future transmission grid,” said Selker. “Grid Enhancing Technologies reduce costs, improve reliability, and help deliver cleaner energy.” 

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