Read It and Weep.

With all of the LNG goings on this week, the "progress" report on the RPS issued by the PUC this week almost escaped notice. You can read it for yourself, but I can summarize if for you in three words: IT AINT PRETTY.

As San Francisco Chronicle blogger Mark Martin noted in a post earlier this week:

The one chart in the report projecting future renewable power use shows the state falling a few thousand megawatts short of the 2010, and the chart is probably over-optimistic because it assumes every contract utilities have signed for power so far will happen. Some will likely fall through.

The chart is barely referenced anywhere in the text of the rosy PUC report, which doesn't provide any writing on whether the 20 percent mandate will be met.

Martin also notes that another report, this one by the CEC, takes a more sober (realistic?) view of the situation. That report states:

"California has achieved only minimal increases in renewable generation,'' the energy commission writes before outlining five major problems that have led to slow progress.

Renewable energy progress short of goal, despite PUC spin [SFgate Politics Blog]