30 September 2010 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law one of the nation's first energy storage bills, which could result in the state's utilities being required to bank a portion of the electricity they generate.

Assembly Bill 2514 originally would have required Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to have energy storage systems capable of providing at least 2.25 percent of average peak electrical demand by 2015. By 2020 the target would have risen to at least 5 percent of average peak demand.

After revision, the signed law now requires the California Public Utilities Commission to determine any appropriate targets for energy storage systems and then require the utilities to meet those mandates by 2015 and 2020. Publicly-owned utilities must set energy storage system targets to be met by 2016 and 2021.

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