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Renewable Portfolio Standards

MCLI Recommendation: “States should participate in regional efforts to align RPS, to improve enforcement and minimize carbon leakage.”

LPDD Recommendation: “States, local government, and private actors need to continue to adopt RPS and ratchet up RPS beyond 50% targets.”

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24 resources

Resource States and State Governments

RMI report, State Energy Policy in a Land of New Federal Opportunity

The Rocky Mountain Institute offers this 2024 guide to new and expanded federal funding programs, and highlights opportunities for states to pass and pay for clean energy policies. The report highligh...
Example States and State Governments

New Jersey’s AB 3723 and Executive Order 28

New Jersey’s AB 3723 requires 50% of energy sold in the state come from Class I renewable resources by 2030, of which 3,500 MW should come from offshore wind. Governor Murphy also signed Executive Ord...
Resource States and State Governments

Report, Designing Renewable Electricity Policies to Reduce Emissions

Resources for the Future authored a 2012 discussion paper on how renewable electricity policies can be redesigned to promote investment in the highest-value generators (displacing the most polluting c...
Example States and State Governments

Virginia’s Executive Order 43

Executive Order 43 (2019) calls for 100% carbon-free energy by 2050, with a 30% interim target by 2030. The EO includes targets of at least 3,000 megawatts of solar and onshore wind under development ...
Example States and State Governments

Hawaii’s HB 623

In June 2015, Hawaii enacted HB 623, a law requiring all electric power to come from renewable sources by 2045.
Example States and State Governments

Washington’s 2019 SB 5116

Washington’s 2019 SB 5116 forces utilities to provide 100% carbon neutral power by 2030 (although 20% of this obligation may be met by the purchase of RECs, the payment of $100/ton administrative pena...
Example States and State Governments

Nevada’s SB 358

Nevada’s SB 358 (passed in 2019) increases the state’s RPS to 50% by 2030; with a goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2050.
Resource States and State Governments

Illinois Legislation Backstopping RPS Payments

In February, 2025, Illinois adopted HB 587, which realigns responsibilities for paying energy suppliers under contract through the state’s renewable portfolio standard. The law was adopted in anticipa...
Example Public Utilities

Arizona Carbon-Free 2050 Utility Target

Throughout 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission developed plans for an update to the state’s Renewable Energy Standard that would require utilities to fully decarbonize their electricity supply by...
Example States and State Governments

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act increased the ambition of the state’s Renewable Portfolio standard to target 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and 100 percent carbon-...
Example States and State Governments

New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act

New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act (2019) amends the state’s renewable portfolio standard to target 80% renewable energy by 2040 and 100% zero carbon energy by 2045. The bill allows utilities to secur...
Example States and State Governments

Texas’ RPS

In 2005, Texas’s legislature amended the state’s renewable portfolio standard to include a target of 10,000 MW of renewable energy by 2025. That target was reached in 2010, fifteen years ahead of sche...
Example States and State Governments

Maryland’s Clean Energy Jobs Act

With 2019’s Clean Energy Jobs Act, Maryland’s RPS is committed to a 50% renewable energy goal by 2030, and the state is required to engage in a planning process to achieve 100% renewable energy by 204...
Resource States and State Governments

NCSL RPS database

The National Conference of State Legislatures maintains a database of all renewable portfolio standards and voluntary targets, including citations to relevant legislation.
Model Law States and State Governments

LPDD Model Law: State Legislation to Decarbonize the Generation of Electricity

This model state electric decarbonization statute is based on 2019 legislation enacted in Washington State, the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), which commits that state to a retail electricity...
Example States and State Governments

Michigan’s Expanded RPS Targets

In November, 2023, Michigan’s legislature approved SB 271, which will increase targets under the state’s renewable portfolio standard. SB 271 requires an electric provider to achieve a renewable energ...
Example States and State Governments

Colorado’s HB-19-1261

Colorado’s HB-19-1261 grants the Public Utilities Commission wide discretion in pursuing a regulatory agenda to meet the state’s goals of reducing GHG emissions by at least 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030, a...
Example States and State Governments

Illinois’ Future Energy Jobs Act

Illinois’ 2017 Future Energy Jobs Act calls for updates to Illinois’ renewable portfolio standards, net metering, and energy efficiency standards, as well as a new zero emissions credits plan. Under t...
Example States and State Governments

California SB 100

California’s 2018 SB 100 increases the ambition of the state’s RPS target to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. The law puts forward interim targets of 50% renewable energy by 2026 and 60% r...
Example States and State Governments

Maine’s LD 1494

Maine’s LD 1494 increases Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to achieve 80% renewable energy by 2030, up from 40 percent previously, and a goal of 100% by 2050. In addition, the bill requires the Pu...
Example States and State Governments

Hawaii’s Law Adjusting RPS Metrics to Actual Generation

In July 2022, Hawaii passed HB2089, changing the way the state calculates its progress under its renewable energy standard. HB2089 changes the relevant metric from sales to actual generation, which sh...
Resource States and State Governments

New Jersey’s Clean Energy Act

On May 23, 2018 Governor Murphy signed the Clean Energy Act P.L.2018, c.17. The Clean Energy Act adopts several measures, including: Renewable Portfolio Standard: Requires 35% of the energy sold in th...
Example States and State Governments

Rhode Island’s 100% Renewable Target by 2033

In June 2022, Rhode Island enacted H7277, requiring 100% of the state’s electricity demand be met with renewable energy by 2033. The legislation sets this target through revisions to the state’s exist...
Example States and State Governments

Oregon’s SB 1547

Oregon’s SB 1547 boosted the state’s renewable energy mandate to 50 percent renewables by 2040. Section 28 of SB 1547 requires the Oregon Public Utility Commission to establish a program for the procu...