The California Public Utilities Commission approved energy storage procurement proposals of the state’s large investor-owned utilities for the 2018 biennial procurement period, according to an Oct. 31 decision. The 2018 cycle is the third of the four solicitation cycles the commission directed the utilities to conduct following the 2010 Energy Storage Law. In 2013, California set a target of 1,325 megawatts by 2020, and has since added another 500 megawatts to the goal. The commission authorized Pacific Gas and Electric Company to hold a solicitation for up to 160 megawatts of storage for the cycle, and an additional 30 megawatts to make up for any shortfall due to project termination. In May, PG&E and Golden Hills Energy Storage LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC, agreed to cancel a 30-megawatt project. The agency found that Southern California Edison Company and San Diego Gas & Electric Company have met their target for 2018 with existing resources and should not be required to conduct a solicitation for the cycle. SCE is in the process of selecting projects to meet its obligation under SB 801, which directed the company to procure 20 megawatts of additional capacity – that counts towards the storage goal – to address limitations resulting from gas supply constraints after the 2015 Aliso Canyon natural gas leak.