Clean energy leadership
For decades, SMUD has been a leader in clean energy, innovation, technology, renewable energy and customer programs. Today, our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan, adopted in 2021, serves as our official Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). We’ve made significant progress on our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan by adding more than 1,500 megawatts of new clean energy resources since 2022 and advancing major solar and storage projects that move our region closer to a carbon‑free future.
Despite facing the headwinds of rising resource costs, regulatory challenges and other shifting conditions, our progress is significant and our commitment to decarbonization remains firm. This fall, we’re launching our updated IRP process, a public, data‑driven effort to holistically reassess evolving conditions and refine our long‑term roadmap for reducing carbon emissions while maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers.
Leading the nation
Our transition to a clean energy future is anchored on our longstanding commitment to provide safe and reliable power with rates among the lowest in California. We won’t compromise on this commitment.
As a leader in climate innovation, SMUD’s helping to position the Sacramento Region as a destination choice for forward-thinking, environmentally conscious businesses and a model for others around the nation to follow.
Through implementing our Community Impact Plan, we’re working to ensure our most under-resourced customers are part of this journey and reap the benefits of a clean energy future.
Carbon reduction progress
We’ve made great progress since developing our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan in 2021. We’ve completed several projects in solar, battery storage and geothermal, adding about 340 megawatts of new renewable and storage capacity with 1,090 megawatts more signed under power purchase agreement to come online between 2026-2030 and thousands more clean energy megawatts under evaluation. While proven clean technology can move us closer to a zero-carbon future, several new technologies and innovative projects – like carbon caption and sequestration and large-scale solar and storage – are needed.
Partnerships and grants are also critical as we scale new and emerging technologies, while keeping our rates among the lowest in California. Through a variety of grants, SMUD and our partners have secured critical funding to help deploy advanced smart meter grid technologies and increase the number of EV chargers at multi-family complexes, among other things.
Archived progress reports
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View our progress to a carbon-free future Get the latest data on our carbon emissions and customer enrollment in our clean energy programs. |
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Our energy outlook Get current information on usage, forecasted peak and our renewable energy mix. |
Why is SMUD focused on reducing carbon emissions?
Carbon emissions contribute to global warming, which leads to extreme weather events, rising sea levels and other environmental challenges that have devastating effects on present-day communities as well as future generations
We live in one of the most polluted cities in the country. A recent report by the American Lung Association gave the Sacramento-Roseville area an F based on days of unhealthy and unsafe levels of air pollution in the ozone layer.
Reducing carbon brings benefits locally and globally. It improves our local air quality, overall health and supports economic development through creating new clean energy job opportunities.
We can’t do this without you
Our customers, community and partners are at the heart of what we do. By reducing carbon emissions, we’re helping create a cleaner and healthier region for all.
We’re all part of the solution. We offer generous rebates and incentives, programs, digital tools, education and many resources for our customers to make smart-energy choices so everyone can take action that helps move us all toward a brighter, cleaner future.
What is our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan
Our 2030 Zero Carbon Plan, adopted in 2021, serves as our official Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). This fall, we’re launching our updated IRP process, a public, data‑driven effort to holistically reassess evolving conditions and refine our long‑term roadmap for reducing carbon emissions while maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers.
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Natural gas generation repurposingToday, our five natural gas plants provide low-cost, reliable power 24/7. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our power plants helps to reach our goal of a clean energy future. 2025 marked the completion of our Cosumnes Power Plant turndown project, which supports operational flexibility and delivers up to a 27% greenhouse gas reduction (~100,000 metric tons) along with ~$10 million in annual fuel savings. |
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Proven clean technologyWe'll expand the use of our existing carbon-free energy technologies like wind, solar, hydro, biomass, geothermal energy, battery storage and demand response. Since 2021, we’ve added over 1,500 megawatts of new carbon-free renewable energy to our power supply. On the customer side, we offer extensive programs and services to support a clean energy transition. |
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New technology and business modelsWe regularly explore new and emerging technologies - like power-to-gas technology, hydrogen and methane, long-duration batteries and carbon sequestration - that are either currently unknown or are not ready for large scale adoption due to price, reliability or other factors. This work will help us identify potential partnerships and business models like virtual power plants and launch pilot projects and programs to test and prove new and emerging technologies and develop paths for prioritizing technology adoption and scaling. |
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Financial impacts and optionsOur road map will identify cost ranges and rate impacts associated with expanding our existing proven clean technologies and for researching and piloting new technologies and business models. We’re focused on making sure achieving a zero-carbon future is possible at a reasonable cost that minimizes rate increases for our customers, limiting rate impacts to the annual rate of inflation. We’ll do that by identifying savings and pursuing partnerships and grants that support this work. |