California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov Docket #: Res E-4375;

E-4377

CPUC TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARD STATE'S RENEWABLE

ENERGY GOAL WITH APPROVAL OF PG&E CONTRACTS

SAN FRANCISCO, November 19, 2010 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today approved several renewable energy contracts for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), furthering the state's progress towards its renewable energy goals.

PG&E received approval of a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sunpower Corporation for the High Plains Ranch III project. The PPA is for a solar photovoltaic facility that will provide 40 megawatts (MW) of new renewable capacity and an estimated 112 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy annually. The project will be located adjacent to Sunpower's planned 210 MW High Plains Ranch II project, also under contract with PG&E, in the Carrizo Plain solar resource area in San Louis Obispo County, Calif. Energy deliveries from the High Plains Ranch III project are anticipated to begin in December 2012.

PG&E also received approval of five PPAs with Solar Projects Solutions, LLC, a joint venture between Enco Utility Services, LLC (ENCO) and Samsung Green Repower, LLC (Samsung). The mid-sized solar facilities are being developed in PG&E's service territory. Collectively, the five facilities are expected to generate approximately 170 GWh annually beginning in 2012.

Details of the contracts are included in the following table:

The CPUC's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) program requires investor-owned utilities, energy service providers, and community choice aggregators operating in California to obtain 20 percent of their retail sales from renewable energy sources by 2010. On November 17, 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order (S-14-08), which established a 33 percent by 2020 RPS goal. On September 23, 2010, the California Air Resources Board adopted regulations for a 33 percent Renewable Electricity Standard for the state by 2020 that will come into effect following review and approval by the Office of Administrative Law.

For the latest information about the utilities' progress towards the state's RPS goal access the CPUC's Quarterly Report to the Legislature here: www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Renewables/index.htm


For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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