Plain-language summary
Senate Bill 100, formally titled the “California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program: emissions of greenhouse gases” act, is the central statute driving California’s residential renewable-energy program ecosystem. It accelerated the state’s existing Renewables Portfolio Standard and established a binding 100% zero-carbon retail electricity target for 2045.
The four binding mandates
1. 60% renewable electricity by 2030
SB 100 raised the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) target. Investor-owned utilities, publicly owned utilities, and community choice aggregators are required to procure 60% of their retail electricity sales from eligible renewable resources by December 31, 2030. Eligible resources are defined by statute and include solar, wind, geothermal, small hydro, biomass, and biogas.
2. 100% zero-carbon retail electricity by 2045
All retail sales of electricity in California must come from renewable and zero-carbon resources by December 31, 2045. “Zero-carbon” is broader than “ renewable” — it includes nuclear and large hydro in addition to the RPS categories.
3. State agencies must achieve 100% by 2045
Section 454.53(a) directs all state agencies to plan to achieve 100% zero-carbon electricity for state operations by the same 2045 date.
4. No greenhouse-gas-emission increase from electricity sector
The act prohibits using SB 100 implementation as justification for increasing greenhouse-gas emissions elsewhere in the economy. This is the “no-leakage” provision.
Why this drives the residential program ecosystem
California imports more electricity than any other state — roughly a quarter to a third of its annual supply comes from out of state. SB 100’s 2030 and 2045 targets cannot be met without growing in-state clean generation, including at the residential level. The mandate creates the regulatory imperative for residential renewable-generation programs — SGIP, DAC-SASH, the Title 24 solar mandate, the Net Billing Tariff structure — that exist today.
The CPUC, the California Energy Commission, and the California Air Resources Board are jointly responsible for implementing SB 100. The agencies issue a Joint Agency Report every four years tracking progress toward the targets and recommending program adjustments.
Related statutes that interlock with SB 100
- AB 32 (2006)— California Global Warming Solutions Act. Established the cap-and-trade program whose auction revenue funds the California Climate Credit and the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP).
- AB 1890 (1996)— California’s electricity restructuring law. Section 381 created the Public Purpose Programs surcharge that has appeared on every PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E bill since January 1998 and funds the bulk of ratepayer-financed energy programs.
- AB 1054 (2019)— Wildfire Insurance Fund Act. Established the $21 billion wildfire fund, partially funded by an ongoing surcharge on residential utility bills.
- Title 24, Part 6 (California Code of Regulations)— Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The 2019 update, effective January 1, 2020, requires solar PV on most new low-rise residential construction.
- Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169)— Federal. Provides the §48E Investment Tax Credit and Energy Community bonus that finance third-party-owned residential solar systems.
Where to read the statute
- Full text of SB 100: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · SB 100
- Joint Agency SB 100 reports: energy.ca.gov/sb100
- CARB greenhouse-gas inventory: arb.ca.gov · GHG inventory
Source: Senate Bill 100, 2017–2018 Regular Session, codified at Public Utilities Code §§399.11–399.30 and §454.53. Statutory analysis above is summarized from the bill text and the Joint Agency SB 100 progress reports issued by the CEC, CPUC, and CARB. For binding interpretation, consult the statute or a licensed attorney.