Tag Archive for: california

Soaring temperatures above 100 degrees that causes blackouts in California shows the need for more rooftop solar

More rooftop solar needed as heat and drought threatens California’s electric grid

SAN FRANCISCO – Temperatures are soaring in much of central California – above 100 degrees in places – and the resulting higher demand on the electricity grid could cause blackouts.

More clean solar power could help avoid this outcome.

The scorching heat wave could continue at least until Friday, according to the National Weather Service. To reduce the risk of blackouts, the California Independent System Operator, or CAISO, which manages the state’s power supply, is urging utilities to suspend any maintenance projects between noon and 10 p.m. every day until temperatures drop.

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Source: ewg

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The CALSSA is expecting the CPUC to release its proposed decision on net metering on or before September 29

New CPUC proposed decision on NEM 3.0 expected by September 29

After many months of solar industry protests, the California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA) is expecting the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to release its proposed decision on net metering on or before September 29. Based on the 90-day window that began with the July 1, 2022 deadline for intervenor comments on the CPUC proceeding on net metering, a new proposed decision is expected to be released on or before September 29, 2022. The timeline for the new proposed decision is not expected to be changed by a recent procedural ruling extending the statutory deadline for the overall proceeding. 

The CPUC issued an initial proposed decision in December 2021 that would have added new grid-use charges and shifted to a net billing structure, which combined would have resulted in lower incentives for rooftop solar customers. In February 2022, after outcry from solar supporters, the new commission president Alice Reynolds asked for more time to analyze the record and consider revisions to the proposed decision on NEM 3.0. A public comment period ensued in May 2022, and CALSSA organized protests to keep advocating against any new solar fees.

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Source: Solar Power World

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A bill to allow renters and low-income Californians to access renewable energy has passed the State Senate Appropriations Committee.

Community solar bill moves out of California Senate Appropriations Committee

A bill to allow renters and low-income Californians to access renewable energy by subscribing to community solar projects passed the State Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday.

Assembly Bill 2316 would enable direct access to solar to people who currently don’t have any way to get it.

By getting through the appropriations committee before the deadline this week, the bill could be approved this year, rather than becoming a two-year bill.

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Source: The Business Journals

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A California agency is seeking more time on how to reform a solar-incentive program that’s helped rooftop solar flourish in the state

California seeks more time to overhaul rooftop-solar subsidy

A California agency is seeking more time to determine how to reform a solar-incentive program that’s helped rooftop solar flourish in the state.

A draft proposal before the California Public Utilities Commission would extend the deadline by a year to Aug. 27, 2023, according to a filing.

The commission is attempting to overhaul an incentive program — known as net-metering — that helped make rooftop systems mainstream but has drawn criticism for raising power bills for poor and middle-class Californians. The commission’s initial proposal sparked a fierce debate over how to balance the fight against climate change with a push to bolster social and economic equity.

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Source: Bloomberg

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The climate bill contains numerous provisions that could aid the efforts of ordinary Californians to reduce emissions.

There’s a lot for Californians in the federal climate bill. Here are the details

The sprawling climate bill that the U.S. Congress could pass in the coming days contains numerous provisions that could aid the efforts of ordinary Californians to reduce emissions.

The bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act because it includes deficit reduction as well as climate and health provisions, “contains the strongest climate action we’ve ever taken in American history,” said Sheryl Carter, an expert on electric power with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Passage is going down to the wire, with Congress’ August recess imminent. Democrats appear to have just succeeded in getting the endorsements of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz. — key votes given the essentially even partisan split in the Senate.

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Source: San Francisco Chronicle

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The bill, AB 2316, establishes a state community renewable energy program making clean energy more accessible.

California assembly passes community renewable energy legislation

The California State Assembly passed a bill that will significantly expand community renewable energy in the state as well as increase grid reliability.

The bill, AB 2316, establishes a state community renewable energy program making clean energy more accessible, including to businesses regardless of whether they rent or own property. The law also includes energy storage requirements on community solar projects designed to increase grid reliability, which can help the state during power crunches as the result of high demand or natural events.

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Source: Environmental Leader

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Solar growth is spreading into new U.S. markets as developers tackle grid challenges and new demand pockets open up in central states.Panel The Planet

Gov. Newsom’s clean air regulators prioritize rooftop solar expansion in California climate action plan

SAN FRANCISCO – California’s top clean air regulators this week released a proposed plan to fight the climate crisis by cutting carbon dioxide emissions, with policy priorities including an effort to expand rooftop solar throughout the state.

The 11-point “Strategies for Achieving Success” draft plan responds to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, to identify strategies for eventually making the state carbon neutral. On page 164 of the plan, CARB says:

  • Target programs and incentives to support and improve access to renewable and zero-carbon energy projects (e.g., rooftop solar, community solar, battery storage, and microgrids) for communities most at need, including frontline, low-income, rural, and indigenous communities.

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Source: EWG

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How California can get to a reliable, 85% clean grid by 2030

Can California really rely on gigawatts of solar and wind power and batteries, plus long-duration energy storage systems and ​“firm” carbon-free resources like geothermal power plants, to replace the need for most of its fossil-fueled power by the end of the decade? And can it do so without driving power prices through the roof or exposing the state to the risk of major blackouts?

Yes, new modeling suggests — but the state is likely to be more successful if it dramatically ramps up offshore wind and geothermal power and depends less than previous forecasts have suggested on new utility-scale solar farms.

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Source: Canary Media

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California’s solar potential remains huge

California leads the nation with more than 1.3 million solar rooftops installed on homes, but the state also has potential for a lot more.

The state ranks second in the nation when measuring the percentage of solar panels on rooftops capable of installing photovoltaic systems.

Consumer comparison research firm InMyArea.com used data from Google’s Project Sunroof, which estimates the suitability of solar installations on the nation’s buildings, to calculate energy costs from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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Source: KPBS

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Renewable electricity just powered California 100% for the first time in history

Renewable electricity met 100% of California’s demand for the first time on Saturday, environmentalists said, much of it from large amounts of solar power produced along Interstate 10, an hour east of the Coachella Valley.

While partygoers celebrated in the blazing sunshine at the Stagecoach music festival, energy demand statewide hit 18,672 megawatts at 2:45 p.m. local time, and 37,172 megawatts were available to meet it. The power came from renewables, according to a continuous tracker provided by California Independent System Operator, or CAISO,  a nonprofit that oversees the state’s bulk electric power system and transmission lines.

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Source: USA Today

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