Fossil Fuel Sources = Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas; Other Sources = Nuclear, Unspecified, and Other.
Data Source: California Energy Commission
Analysis by CEC Economics
Data Source: California Energy Commission
Analysis by CEC Economics
Highlights
- Electricity generation from RPS-eligible renewable sources and large hydroelectric accounted for 48.6% of the power mix, an increase of 3.3% from 2022. The uptick was mostly due to large hydro and small hydro, as California experienced less drought in 2023 than previous years. In 2023, in-state generation from large hydro and small hydro rose by 85.3% and 61.5% from 2022, respectively, surging to 27,066 GWh and 4,853 GWh. This increase translated to a notable shift in its contribution to in-state generation, elevating its share to 14.8%, a distinct improvement from the 8.5% observed in the preceding year.
- In 2023, electricity generation from oil, waste heat and petroleum coke in California reached an unprecedented low, totaling just 448 GWh. Altogether, these sources made up just 0.2% of the state’s power mix.
Challenges
- Despite the recent uptick in electricity generation from small hydro, the resource remains dependent on increasingly variable precipitation levels, and the 2023 generation levels remained 9.3% below the 2019 peak. Although the share of electricity generation from RPS-eligible renewable sources continue to gain grounds, the share of generation from fossil fuels (38.4% in 2023) has not declined meaningfully since 2017 (38.0%).
- Natural gas remains the largest share (36.5%) of California’s power mix, which has remained relatively stable since 2016, when it accounted for a similar share (36.4%). In recent years, California’s gain in generation from RPS-eligible renewable energy has been offset by a loss in generation from nuclear energy, which is carbon free but not RPS-eligible. Diablo Canyon stands as the final remaining nuclear power plant in the state of California, representing what some see as a crucial asset to support energy reliability as the state accelerates progress towards achieving clean energy and climate goals. Originally slated to retire in 2025, SB 846 (2022)77 extended that deadline to October 31, 2030.
77California Legislative Information. SB-846 Diablo Canyon Powerplant: extension of operations. Released Sep 02,2022. Assess Aug 24,2023. Available at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB846
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