Dive Brief:

• California regulators on Thursday are set to vote on a mandate that would require the state's investor-owned utilities to buy 1.3 gigawatts of energy storage by 2020.
• The Public Utilities Commission hopes the mandate would jump start the commercial development of next-generation batteries and exotic technologies such as flywheels.
• The mandate would complement the state's requirement that utilities get 33% of their power from intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2020. Storage would help level out generation and stabilize the grid, as well as manage disruptions from storms and wildfires that occur frequently in the state. 

Dive Insight: 

The storage mandate would be the first of its kind in the U.S. California has frequently been an innovator and leader in terms of energy policy. The 33% renewable mandate and tough fuel-economy standards for vehicles are just two examples.