California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week will issue an executive order requiring that state to generate one-third of its power from renewable resources by 2020. Currently, California imposes a 20 percent requirement by 2010.

Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected this week to veto a similar bill passed by the California Legislature. The bill limited the amount of renewable energy that could be imported from outside the state. It appears that Gov. Schwarzenegger’s executive order will not include such a limitation.  There are also reports that Gov. Schwarzenegger may include nuclear energy as a renewable resource. See here for more information about California’s renewable energy regulations.

What is happening in California is likely a precursor to what will happen in Wisconsin in the coming months. Gov. Jim Doyle’s Global Warming Task Force Final Report recommends increasing Wisconsin’s “Renewable Portfolio Standard” from the current 10 percent requirement to 20 percent by 2020 and 25 percent by 2025. The Task Force also recommended requiring that 6 percent of the renewable energy be generated in Wisconsin by 2020, and 10 percent by 2025.

The renewable energy policy is just one of many policies currently being drafted by Wisconsin legislators as an omnibus bill. The renewable energy provision will likely be one of the more controversial issues as the bill moves forward.