Over the past few weeks, the renewable outlook has been under the microscope as the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) was being discussed on Capitol Hill over the 4^th of July holiday weekend. Since the signing of such a bill, there have been a slew of reports surrounding the impact on development in the U.S. For example, Rhodium Group reported an estimate of cutting the build-out of new clean power by over 50% while Wood Mackenzie stated that a 17% decrease in solar was expected. Other reports show an expansion in gas additions given the economic changes in the OBBB.  In this piece of content, we look at drivers of capacity additions in the WECC in the context of load growth and RPS requirements to frame up how the OBBB may impact renewable energy additions in the western states. 

Table 1 | Summary of RPS and CES Programs in the WECC

The OBBB impacts renewable energy tax credits for wind and solar the most by requiring projects to be in service by the end of 2027 or start construction in the next twelve months and be in service by the end of 2030.  Interestingly, in the spirit of picking winners and losers, other technologies such as geothermal and battery storage can get the tax credit if under construction by the end of 2033 and partial tax credits for the following two years.