PG&E Corp. (PCG) and Edison International (EIX) utilities said Tuesday they're looking to sign new contracts for renewable energy.

Both companies said they're looking for power purchase agreements for a variety of renewable energy, including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydropower. PG&E said it's also soliciting agreements with an option to purchase a project after five or 10 years, outright acquisitions of renewable energy facilities, acquisitions of project sites for development of generation facilities, and agreements to jointly own or develop a renewable energy project.

State regulators have asked California utilities to pay special attention to projects in the Imperial Valley, in the southeast corner of the state, where Sempra Energy (SRE) unit San Diego Gas & Electric Co. is building a high-voltage transmission line. Edison said it would also be on the lookout for projects in Kern County, Calif., that could connect to the Tehachapi transmission line the company is building.

PG&E, SoCal Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric are required by state law to use renewable sources for a fifth of the power they sell by 2013. PG&E's request for proposals is aimed at meeting that requirement.

PG&E last week signed a contract with a unit of NRG Energy Inc. (NRG) for 92 megawatts of solar-thermal power. The power will come from a plant in Lancaster, Calif., that will use solar-thermal technology developed by privately held eSolar. The plant, slated for completion in 2012, will produce about 192 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to serve about 30,000 homes, PG&E said.

-By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6468; cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com