California officials in 2004 adopted a Resource Adequacy (RA) policy framework, designed to ensure the reliability of electric service in the state. The program has two goals, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC):
- To ensure the safe and reliable operation of the grid in real-time, providing sufficient resources to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) when and where needed.
- To incentivize the siting and construction of new resources needed for future grid reliability.
