The California State Assembly passed AB 2514, legislation that
members hope will create a smarter electric grid, increase the
use of renewable energy, save Californians money by avoiding the
need to build new power plants, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and other harmful air pollutants through the use of
energy-storage technologies by utility companies. Authored by
Nancy Skinner, chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, in
partnership with California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown
Jr., AB 2514 also is intended to create thousands of permanent
new jobs in California. “Energy storage improves the overall
efficiency of our electric-power system, which will lower costs
for consumers,” Skinner said. By March 1, 2012, the bill would
require the Public Utilities Commission to open a proceeding to
consider establishing investor-owned utility procurement targets
for viable and cost-effective energy-storage systems to be
achieved by Dec. 31, 2015, and an additional target to be
achieved by Dec. 31, 2020. Publicly