California broke a record for renewable energy use — briefly. Here’s what that means

California set a new record in using clean, renewable energy at 97.6% during a brief moment in early April, according to a Thursday news release.

The California Independent System Operator, a nonprofit headquartered in Folsom that operates the state’s power grid, reached this peak at 3:39 p.m. on April 3. It previously broke the record on March 27 when 96.4% of electricity on the grid came from renewable sources.

“While these all-time highs are for a brief time, they solidly demonstrate the advances being made to reliably achieve California’s clean energy goals,” said Elliot Mainzer, ISO president and CEO, in the statement.

More peaks could be reached in April, the ISO analysis predicts. Due to greater solar production and mild temperatures, record-breaking levels of renewable energy are more likely in the springtime, according to the nonprofit.

The record also points to potential progress in reaching California’s renewable energy goals, with the state aiming to be carbon free by 2045.

In addition to using more solar and wind resources, the ISO also plans adding more renewable energy storage to the system by June of this year. Storage helps ensure solar and wind energy can be used at any time during the day.

To integrate more renewable energy sources into the grid system, the ISO worked with other government agencies such as the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission.

This story was originally published April 15, 2022 at 2:58 PM with the headline "California broke a record for renewable energy use — briefly. Here’s what that means."