Renewable energy sources are making up a growing portion of California’s power supply. For the first time, wind, water and solar power combined are consistently meeting or surpassing 100% of the demand on the state’s grid for at least part of a day. Mark Jacobson is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. Jacobson has been carefully tracking supply and demand fluctuations on California’s grid for the past two months.”We’ve made a lot of progress,” Jacobson said, referring to state energy leaders’ goal of achieving 100% renewable sources by the year 2045. Officials set that goal as a part of California’s strategy to mitigate the impacts of human-caused climate change, which is a direct result of a reliance on fossil fuels.According to data shared publicly on the California Independent System Operator’s website, during the past 52 days wind, water and solar power have accounted for an average of 61.5% of the state’s electricity demand. During that stretch, 44 days saw renewable energy sources meet or exceed 100% of state demand for at least 15 minutes. Last weekend wind, water and solar power covered California’s energy demand for 9 hours and 45 minutes. Jacobson said that is a new record for the state.”To get 100% renewables day and night, what we need is not only more solar and batteries but offshore wind which peaks at night and in the summers,” Jacobson said.Over the past year, California has doubled its battery storage capacity. Jacobson said that currently, these utility-scale batteries can hold enough power to meet a quarter of the state’s energy demands during the spring. That added battery capacity allows grid operators to capture excess renewable power as it is generated. That stored power can then be used later when renewable sources like the sun aren’t available. Growth in the solar power industry is also helping the state expand its renewable energy supply. Grid-scale solar farms provide energy directly for the grid. Jacobson said that the increasing use of rooftop solar has a benefit, too.”People’s rooftop solar, that accounts for about 12% of all California electricity generation. However, that is not included in the grid electricity production,” Jacobson said. “But it’s used first to provide electricity for people’s homes and buildings and that electricity, then does not need to come from the grid.”During the hot summer months, the electricity demand in California typically doubles. Given that, Jacobson said he doesn’t expect renewables to maintain their share of the power supply — at least not yet. “What we need is not only more solar and batteries but offshore wind which peaks at night and in the summers,” Jacobson said. Currently, California ranks 12th in the U.S. when considering the percentage of electricity that comes from renewable sources. South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Washington and Oregon make up the top five. Of the 11 states ahead of California, 10 have some of the lowest energy costs in the country. California’s power rates are the third highest in the country. That is largely a result of the high cost of natural gas, a source that the state is trying to move away from. Individual utility companies are also passing the costs of wildfire and other disaster damage, as well as the cost of modernizing infrastructure, onto their customers.
Renewable energy sources are making up a growing portion of California’s power supply.
For the first time, wind, water and solar power combined are consistently meeting or surpassing 100% of the demand on the state’s grid for at least part of a day.
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Mark Jacobson is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. Jacobson has been carefully tracking supply and demand fluctuations on California’s grid for the past two months.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” Jacobson said, referring to state energy leaders’ goal of achieving 100% renewable sources by the year 2045. Officials set that goal as a part of California’s strategy to mitigate the impacts of human-caused climate change, which is a direct result of a reliance on fossil fuels.
According to data shared publicly on the California Independent System Operator’s website, during the past 52 days wind, water and solar power have accounted for an average of 61.5% of the state’s electricity demand.
During that stretch, 44 days saw renewable energy sources meet or exceed 100% of state demand for at least 15 minutes. Last weekend wind, water and solar power covered California’s energy demand for 9 hours and 45 minutes. Jacobson said that is a new record for the state.
“To get 100% renewables day and night, what we need is not only more solar and batteries but offshore wind which peaks at night and in the summers,” Jacobson said.
Over the past year, California has doubled its battery storage capacity. Jacobson said that currently, these utility-scale batteries can hold enough power to meet a quarter of the state’s energy demands during the spring.
That added battery capacity allows grid operators to capture excess renewable power as it is generated. That stored power can then be used later when renewable sources like the sun aren’t available.
Growth in the solar power industry is also helping the state expand its renewable energy supply. Grid-scale solar farms provide energy directly for the grid. Jacobson said that the increasing use of rooftop solar has a benefit, too.
“People’s rooftop solar, that accounts for about 12% of all California electricity generation. However, that is not included in the grid electricity production,” Jacobson said. “But it’s used first to provide electricity for people’s homes and buildings and that electricity, then does not need to come from the grid.”
During the hot summer months, the electricity demand in California typically doubles. Given that, Jacobson said he doesn’t expect renewables to maintain their share of the power supply — at least not yet.
“What we need is not only more solar and batteries but offshore wind which peaks at night and in the summers,” Jacobson said.
Currently, California ranks 12th in the U.S. when considering the percentage of electricity that comes from renewable sources. South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, Washington and Oregon make up the top five. Of the 11 states ahead of California, 10 have some of the lowest energy costs in the country.
California’s power rates are the third highest in the country. That is largely a result of the high cost of natural gas, a source that the state is trying to move away from. Individual utility companies are also passing the costs of wildfire and other disaster damage, as well as the cost of modernizing infrastructure, onto their customers.
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