Energy Commission: integrated energy policy report: curtailed solar and wind generation: hydrogen production.

Assembly Member Bennett's proposal directs the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to evaluate how California's excess solar and wind power could fuel hydrogen production, incorporating this analysis into the state's 2027 integrated energy policy report.

The assessment would quantify monthly and annual solar and wind curtailment across California, examining both system demand limitations and transmission constraints. The Commission would map curtailment patterns by region while calculating the technical potential for converting this unused renewable energy into hydrogen. The analysis would also outline regulatory and policy changes needed to enable hydrogen production from curtailed renewable generation.

For purposes of the assessment, the bill defines curtailed solar and wind generation as the gap between actual reduced output and the total energy that could have been produced absent demand or transmission limitations. The Commission would complete this evaluation as part of its 2027 integrated energy policy report, with the requirements sunsetting on January 1, 2029.

The measure builds upon California's existing energy planning framework, which requires the Commission to produce biennial integrated energy policy reports analyzing trends, challenges, and opportunities in the state's energy system. These reports currently include assessments of system reliability, resource needs, and conservation potential.