The SMUD (2020 Sacramento Municipal Utility District) Board of Directors adopted a climate emergency declaration that commits to working toward an ambitious goal of delivering carbon-neutral electricity by 2030.

In 2018, SMUD successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 1990 levels, the equivalent of removing 377,000 vehicles from the road. Furthermore, SMUD has reduced the carbon intensity of its power mix, which is now 50% carbon-free on average. SMUD has also partnered to plant more than 500,000 shade trees throughout the Sacramento region to improve air quality, sequester carbon and reduce customer bills.

SMUD also helped grow the local market for solar development by providing $130 million in customer incentives to install solar on more than 15,000 local rooftops.

SMUD adopted its most recent Integrated Resources Plan in 2018 that set a roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040, five years ahead of the state. The plan, approved in January 2020 by the California Energy Commission, focuses on local renewables and includes a $7-billion investment to achieve the following aggressive goals:

• Nearly 2,900 megawatts (MW) of new carbon-free resources including 670 MW of wind; 1,500 MW of utility-scale solar, of which, nearly 300 MW will be built in the next 3 years; 180 MW of geothermal; and 560 MW of utility-scale energy storage.

• An aggressive strategy to expand demand-side resources including nearly 600 MW of installed rooftop solar; the equivalent of 900,000 local electric vehicles and 400,000 all-electric homes; nearly 200 MW of demand response programs; and more than 200 MW of customer-installed batteries.

The resolution indicates a strong commitment to finding additional opportunities to accelerate decarbonization, and staff will work to immediately support the goals of the resolution.

As the nation’s sixth-largest community-owned electric service provider, SMUD has been providing electricity for almost 75 years to Sacramento County (and small adjoining portions of Placer and Yolo Counties).